The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
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Beef & Cheddar Meatballs with Brown Rice Fusilli, Courgette & Olives
A playful twist on a classic - meatballs and fusilli! You'll use tender British beef mince and sharp mature cheddar for the meatballs, then simmer with a sundried tomato and olive Italian sauce. Pack in a rainbow of roasted veggies for extra fibre and colour. Brown rice fusilli soak up all that flavour. Then bring everything together and grill until golden. Buon appetito!
High protein
4 of 5 a day
Serving size
Ingredients
- 1 handful of fresh basil (use half)
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (use half) (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (use half) (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 20g extra mature cheddar cheese (use half) (Milk) (pasteurised cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, starter culture)
- 120g brown rice fusilli pasta (use half) (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 10g chicken stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (use half)
- 200g passata (use half) (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 110g baby tomatoes (use half)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 140g beef mince (british beef mince (10% fat))
- 3 garlic clove
- 1 courgette (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 716
Protein: 42g
Carbs: 66g
Fat: 31g
Ingredients
- 1 handful of fresh basil
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 20g extra mature cheddar cheese (Milk) (pasteurised cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, starter culture)
- 120g brown rice fusilli pasta (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 200g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 10g chicken stock powder (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 3 garlic clove
- 280g beef mince (british beef mince (10% fat))
- 1 courgette
- 110g baby tomatoes
- 1 onion
Nutritional Information
Calories: 732
Protein: 43g
Carbs: 64g
Fat: 33g
Beef & Cheddar Meatballs with Brown Rice Fusilli, Courgette & Olives
A playful twist on a classic - meatballs and fusilli! You'll use tender British beef mince and sharp mature cheddar for the meatballs, then simmer with a sundried tomato and olive Italian sauce. Pack in a rainbow of roasted veggies for extra fibre and colour. Brown rice fusilli soak up all that flavour. Then bring everything together and grill until golden. Buon appetito!
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a large frying pan, a medium baking dish, a medium bowl, a grater, a sieve & a measuring jug
Fry the meatballs
- Finely grate the cheese. Finely chop or grate the garlic. In the medium bowl, combine the beef mince with one-third of the cheese and half the garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix and form into 10 even-sized meatballs (5 for 1 person)
- Heat the large frying pan with 2 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook for 12 mins, turning frequently, until golden
Finish the prep & cook the pasta
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion. Dice the courgette into 2cm chunks. Thinly slice the olives. Halve the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and roughly chop
- Add the fusilli to the saucepan and simmer for 9-10 mins, until cooked, then drain and toss with 1/2 tsp oil
Simmer the sauce
- Add the onion and courgette to the meatball pan and cook for another 6-7 mins, until golden and softened. Season with salt and pepper
- Add the tomatoes and remaining garlic and cook for 2 mins, then stir in the passata, sundried tomato paste, stock powder, olives, basil, chilli flakes (for those who'd like the heat) and 50ml water (25ml for 1 person). Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 mins
Pasta bake time
- Preheat the grill to high (240C)
- Stir the cooked fusilli into the sauce, then transfer all to the medium baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and grill for 5-6 mins, until golden and bubbling
Plate up
- Check your meat is cooked through; it should be golden brown, steaming hot, the juices should run clear when cut and there should be no pink / rare meat inside
- Share the meatball fusilli between bowls
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