Sausage Ricotta Meatball Bake

To prepare the meatballs, preheat the oven to 200°C. Add the breadcrumbs to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until finely ground.

Place breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, fennel, oregano and pepper and stir to combine. Add the ground meat mixture and gently stir again.

Form meat into roughly 2,5-3 cm meatballs (approx. 12 balls) and place in the 28 cm shallow braiser.

Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Remove meatballs from the oven and set aside on a plate. Let braiser cool for about 5 minutes and leave oven on.

For the sauce, return the braiser to medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook just until garlic is fragrant and nutty but not browning, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes to the braiser and stir. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Add the basil and sugar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs back to the braiser and stir to coat with the sauce.

Top the meatballs with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and place into the preheated oven.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Tip: You can substitute the grounded beef and pork mixture with grounded lamb or Italian pork sausage.