Italian sausage polpettina & macaroni bake

Recipe uploaded by

John Torode

4 ratings

Recipe by John Torode

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1. Video tutorial: Making bechamel (white sauce)

1. Make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a medium pan, then stir in the flour. Keeping the heat high, whisk in the milk and bring to the boil, whisking until smooth and thickened. Season with a good pinch of salt and some pepper, then stir in most of the grated cheese and set aside, with the surface covered with cling film to stop if forming a skin.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole or frying pan, then add the onions and garlic and a real good grind of black pepper and salt. Cook slowly and gently until the onions are soft but not coloured. Take half the mix out and mix with the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, lift the rest of the onions out of the pan, leaving the oil behind, and set aside.
3. Mix the mince and sausagemeat, chopped parsley and lots of salt and pepper into the breadcrumbs. Mix really well with your hands until the whole thing becomes pasty rather than lumpy. Shape into the size of ping-pong balls, then heat the pan again and brown the Simply serve with a fresh green salad balls in batches in the leftover onion oil. Remove the final batch, then return the reserved onions to the pan with the wine. Bubble over a high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan, then stir in the tomatoes and meatballs. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen.
4. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and boil the macaroni according to pack instructions. Drain well, then mix with the meatball sauce. Tip into the largest ovenproof dish you have. Top with the white sauce (warm it a bit if it is slightly solid), then scatter with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 mins until bubbling and golden.

881 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 77g, fat 47 g, saturated fat 16g, fibre 4g, salt 1.75 g

Latest comments and suggestions

• Hilary

  19 August 2009

  Hilary commented on this recipe

  Great recipe. Made this for a group of friends who now want the recipe! Best meatballs I've ever had. I put 1/2 tsp cayenne in the meatball mixture to give a bit of bite!

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• Lynsey

  01 September 2009

  Lynsey rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Delicious. I added more herbs and a pinch of chilli flakes to the meatball mix. Will definatly make again.

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• Alex

  09 September 2009

  Alex commented on this recipe

  Fantastic – I served it as a family meal but would also make for an informal dinner party. Not sure about the stated prep time though – I would love to see John Torode prep this in half an hour!

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• CharlotteG

  12 September 2009

  CharlotteG rated this recipe

  

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• Jane Facey

  15 September 2009

  Jane Facey commented on this recipe

  Great recipe - served for supper for friends last night. Couldn't get Italian sausages so used premium Cumberland and added lots of oregano. Made meatballs and tomato sauce day before and finished dish the morning of the supper, kept in fridge until needed.

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• Julia Slater

  29 September 2009

  Julia Slater rated and commented on this recipe

  

  This recipe is amazing the meatballs are so soft and tasty a winner every time I make it. I did add another tin of tomatoes last time I made it as it did not really have a lot of sauce and I prefer it with a bit more!

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• nan

  03 November 2009

  nan rated this recipe

  

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• nan

  03 November 2009

  nan commented on this recipe

  Fantastic recipe for families. I made this for friends visiting from France and the children really enjoyed it.

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Ingredients

• 150ml olive oil
• 2 large onions , finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 100g fresh breadcrumbs
• 50ml milk
• 500g quality beef mince
• 500g Italian sausages (about 8), meat squeezed from the skins
• good handful chopped parsley
• 200ml red wine
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 500g pack macaroni

FOR THE WHITE SAUCE

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml milk
• 100g grated tasty cheese , such as mature cheddar or Gruyere

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 30 mins

Cook min 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• 150ml olive oil
• 2 large onions , finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 100g fresh breadcrumbs
• 50ml milk
• 500g quality beef mince
• 500g Italian sausages (about 8), meat squeezed from the skins
• good handful chopped parsley
• 200ml red wine
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 500g pack macaroni

FOR THE WHITE SAUCE

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml milk
• 100g grated tasty cheese , such as mature cheddar or Gruyere

881 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 77g, fat 47 g, saturated fat 16g, fibre 4g, salt 1.75 g

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