Meatball and mozzarella pan bake

Method

• step 1

  Put half the onion, all of the beef and pork mince, breadcrumbs, fennel seeds, oregano and egg in a bowl with plenty of seasoning. Mix everything with your hands really well, then shape into 20 meatballs. Heat 1 tbsp oil in an ovenproof frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches, adding more oil as you need – the meatballs should be almost cooked through. Once browned, scoop out of the pan and onto a plate.

• step 2

  Add the rest of the onion to the pan with another tbsp of olive oil. Fry gently until soft, then add the garlic, and fry for a couple of minutes more. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, passata, purée, brown sugar and red wine vinegar to the frying pan, and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened, and the surface is glistening. Add back the meatballs.

• step 3

  Mix 200g of the grated mozzarella with the mascarpone and a little salt. Spoon the cheesy mascarpone over the meatballs in dollops, and scatter over the remaining grated mozzarella.

• step 4

  Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bake for 30 minutes until the meatballs are piping hot and cooked through, and the top is golden and bubbling. Let the dish cool for 5 minutes, then add a drizzle of olive oil before spooning straight from the dish. Serve with crusty bread, pasta or rice.