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Web only: Tuscan meatballs in mushroom-tomato sauce

Recipe: Annabel Langbein

These are the lightest, tastiest meatballs of all time. The recipe is loosely based around a famous dish from A16 restaurant in San Francisco.

Meatballs:

  • 500g lean pork mince
  • 3 rashers rindless bacon, very finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh parmesan
  • 250g stale white bread, preferably from a rustic loaf
  • 100g mushrooms
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 250g ricotta cheese
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 150g mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 500ml tomato purée
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 400g cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes in juice
  • ½ teaspoon chopped rosemary
  • 1/ cup basil pesto
  • 1 cup water
  • salt and ground black pepper

Place the mince and bacon in a large mixing bowl with the seasonings, thyme, onion, parsley and parmesan. Mix by hand until evenly incorporated. Blitz the bread in a food processor to form breadcrumbs, add the mushrooms and milk and blitz again to combine evenly. Add these to the meat along with the ricotta and eggs so they are just incorporated; don’t overmix. Mixture should be light, soft and moist. Form into balls about the size of golf balls. Place in an oiled or lined baking dish and bake at 220°C until browned, 20 minutes.

While the meatballs brown, prepare the sauce. Heat butter in a frypan and cook mushrooms until lightly browned. Add garlic and sizzle for a few seconds then add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.

Drain off and discard any fat from meatball dish; pour hot sauce over the top of meatballs. Cover and bake at 180°C for another
1½ hours.

Serves 6 hungry people