Traybake Meatballs with Kale in Tomato Sauce

I always used to be worried about eating kale   The only times I had eaten it, it had been a bit tough and squeaked on my teeth   I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about   It may be a superfood but it wasn’t very palatable and, according to my parents, it was something that was only given to farm animals.  I stuck to spinach and cabbage. How wrong I was to limit myself!

Now I know how to prepare and use it there is no more squeaking and I use it in so many ways though my favourite way is when it is eaten with pasta, either as part of a sauce or, as it is here, in a meatball.  In fact, these meatballs are a great way to introduce kids to kale as it isn’t obvious.

I always try to prepare extra (you can never have too many meatballs right?) and freeze those at the end of stage 4 so there is a cache in the freezer   Mind you, extras are good at room temperature,  as a nibble or even in sandwiches so they might not make it.

i actually make this in a oven proof frying pan (it has a metal handle) rather than a tray but that’s just personal preference.  You can do it all in a tray just as easily.  If you want to simplify this dish instead of making the tomato sauce use a 680g jar of passata with a teaspoon of sugar  – it works really well.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

For the meatballs

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• A large bunch kale or cime di rappa
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 450g minced beef
• 225g pork sausage meat
• 25g bread crumbs
• 60g grated parmesan
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper

For the tomato sauce (see notes for cheats version) 

• 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
• 2 x crushed cloves garlic
• pinch chilli flakes
• 75ml red wine (optional)
• 2tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Garnish – Parmesan for sprinkling

Method

1. Put the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer stirring frequently. Turn heat down to low and let bubble away till thick stirring from time to time
2. To make the meatballs fry the onion gently for 5 mins with a tablespoon of olive oil in your tray/oven proof frying pan so they are soft.  Put them in a large bowl in which you will mix your meatballs
3. Chop the kale finely and Using  the same tray/pan as the onions cook the kale in another tablespoon of the oil for 5 mins.  Remove and add to mixing bowl with onions
4. Add the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs to the bowl, mix well  and shape into meatballs the size of a golf ball
5. At this stage I like to chill the meatballs for 20 mins in fridge so they firm up but this is optional
6. Heat oven to 175c
7. Put the remaining 3 tabspoons of oil in tray/pan and fry the meatballs over a medium heat until brown
8. Add tomato sauce and turn meatballs over in sauce before baking in oven for 15 mins
9. at this stage I like to cook spaghetti so I can gently mix it in with the cooked meatballs and sauce to coat, sprinkle over grated Parmesan and serve