One-Pot Orzo and Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce

This Week

2 Dec - 8 Dec

One-Pot Orzo and Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce

This one-pot dish allows the orzo to absorb all the wonderful flavours of both the rich tomato sauce and the meatballs.

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Meal Prep Guide

Pre-roll the meatballs. (Store in an airtight container in the fridge)

500g beef mince
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 Tbsp fresh herbs or 1 Tbsp dried herbs (we used rosemary, oregano and thyme)
Salt and pepper

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the mince, breadcrumbs, herbs and salt and pepper. Mix well (we find it best to do this with our hands), add the lightly beaten egg and continue to mix.

Once the mixture is combined, roll into meatballs just a bit smaller than a golf ball size.

Tips

‍Tips

When combining the beef mince mixture, avoid over-mixing as it can result in dense meatballs – mix the ingredients until just combined.
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Frying the meatballs first develops a crust which helps them stay together and adds more flavour – make sure that your pan is thoroughly preheated, and the oil is hot before adding the meatballs. Also avoid overcrowding the pan, space allows each meatball to have sufficient contact with the hot surface, creating that delicious crust.
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When you’re simmering the orzo, make sure to keep the heat on low and with a lid on. This way, you’ll let the orzo cook perfectly without the liquid evaporating too fast. If you notice that there’s not enough liquid, add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of water and let it simmer until cooked.
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Shortcut

Skip step 4 (frying the meatballs) and simply add the raw meatballs to the pot about 5 minutes before adding the orzo.

Shortcuts

Vegetables

You could serve the orzo alongside some steamed greens instead of the rocket salad.

Protein

For a vegetarian option, serve with our black bean meatballs. Bake these meatballs and add to the orzo, once the orzo has cooked.

Ingredients

Meatballs

500g beef mince
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp fresh herbs or 1 Tbsp dried (we used rosemary, oregano and thyme)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Orzo

1 brown onion (finely diced)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 tsp oregano
1 ½ cups orzo
¼ cup pitted olives (roughly chopped)
2 Tbsp capers
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 x 400g tinned crushed tomatoes
1 ½ cups chicken stock or bone broth
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
⅓ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Parmesan ‍

Rocket salad

120g rocket (1 bag)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Method

Start by grabbing a large sauté dish, pot or pan that comes with a lid and is big enough to cook the whole dish in.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the mince, breadcrumbs, herbs, lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix well (we find it best to do this with our hands).
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Once the mixture is combined, roll into meatballs just a bit smaller than a golf ball size.
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Add a generous amount of olive oil to the sauté dish over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown but not fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside (you may need to do this in batches).
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Reduce the heat slightly and add the onion to the same pan. Add a pinch of salt and a little more oil if you need; cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
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Add the garlic and oregano; cook for a minute or so.
Add the tomato paste, olives and capers; cook for a minute or so before adding the crushed tomatoes and stock. Stir well, pop on the lid and leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
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Add the orzo and stir through, then carefully add the meatballs. Bring it back up to the boil, then return the heat to low, put the lid back on and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from burning or sticking to the bottom of the dish. The dish is done when the sauce has thickened and the pasta is cooked.
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While the orzo is cooking, prepare the rocket salad. Add the olive oil and vinegar to a salad bowl and toss through the rocket; season with salt and pepper.
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Serve the orzo and meatballs topped with fresh parsley and parmesan.