Beef & Ricotta Meatballs in Ragu

Ingredients

• 500g 5% beef mince
• 1 courgette, grated and squeezed really dry
• 1 tsp garlic granules (heaped)
• 1 tsp onion granules (heaped)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 120g ricotta
• 1 egg
• 20g parmesan, finely grated
• 50g breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 carrot
• 1 red onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (Mutti recommended)
• A little chopped rosemary or dried oregano
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 x 400g tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
• Fresh basil to serve
• Extra parmesan for serving

Instructions

1. Grate the courgette then squeeze out as much water as you possibly can. Mix the mince, courgette, garlic granules, onion granules, oregano, ricotta, parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until just combined.
2. Roll into large meatballs, bigger than golf ball size (you should get around 12).
3. Air fry at 210C for 12 minutes or bake at 220C (200C fan) for 15–18 minutes until browned. They don’t need to be cooked through yet.
4. For the sauce, blitz the celery, carrot and red onion in a processor (or finely dice), then sauté in a large pan for a few minutes with a pinch of salt until softened.
5. Add diced red pepper, chopped rosemary and the garlic, then stir in the tomato purée and cook out for 2 minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and 1 tin's worth of water. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
7. Stir in the butter beans, then add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is rich and thickened.
8. Finish with extra parmesan and lots of torn basil.