Name: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) orzo; 250 (9 oz) cherry tomatoes; 1 can (400 g/15 oz) tomato puree; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth, or vegetable broth; 140 g (5 oz) tomato paste; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 40 g (1.5 oz) grated Parmesan, more for serving; 2 tbsp chopped parsley, more for serving; seasoning: 1 tsp each: black pepper, dried oregano, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes; salt, to taste; 500 g (1.1 pounds) ground meat, I used 70% pork with 30% veal; 1/2 tsp each: salt, black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder; 1 egg yolk; 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Meatballs and orzo cooked in a rich and delicious tomato sauce. It’s easy to make and loaded with flavour. This one-pot dinner will blow you away big time. It hits all the notes, it’s fun to make, intriguing and it tastes freaking delicious.

The preparation needed for this dish is quite simple. Instead of boiling the orzo, we cook it directly in the pan in a deep and rich tomato sauce. The sauce is made with a base of pureed tomatoes, chicken stock and leftover fat from the meatballs.

We also add tomato paste and Parmesan to really deepen the flavor and bring out the best in the meatballs. When we cook the orzo in this sauce, the starch will not only emulsify the fats, but also turn the sauce slightly smooth and we’ll end up with a unique textural result. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and lots of parmesan to finish.

Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

for the meatballs, I used a combo of ground pork and veal, but you can use ground chicken, beef or pork
use rice instead of orzo
instead of pureed tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes or tomato passata (in Europe)
add roasted bell pepper instead of cherry tomatoes
serve with a simple side salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
meatballs should be moist and unbelievably tender, so don’t overmix them by handling your meat as little as possible. Put everything into a bowl, and use your hands to carefully and gently mix herbs, egg yolk and breadcrumbs into the meat

More meatballs, please!

Cooking Video

Yield: serves 4