Recipe: Meatballs in red wine tomato sauce with Roodeberg Classic Red

With Roodeberg’s range of accomplished blends, from the ever popular Classic Red and Rosé to the more textured Roodeberg Reserve and Roodeberg 1949, there’s a perfect wine companion for every dish.

No-fuss, one pot meals enriched with a splash of Roodeberg are easy to prepare and energy efficient. Well-known food writer Ilse van der Merwe shares a few simple autumn recipe suggestions that allow you time to relax over a leisurely glass of your favourite Roodeberg rather than spending hours in the kitchen.

For the Roodeberg Classic Red Blend, Ilse suggests her crowd pleasing baked meatballs in a tomato and red wine sauce. Incredibly tender and flavourful, this classic Italian-style meal is a winner with freshly cooked pasta. Adding ½ cup of Roodeberg to the sauce enhances its heartiness and umami flavours.

Recipe: Meatballs in red wine tomato sauce with Roodeberg Classic Red

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the meatballs:

• 1 ½ cups soft breadcrumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 500 g lean beef mince
• ½ onion, finely chopped or coarsely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped/grated
• 1 XL egg, lightly whisked
• Handful parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 760 g tomato passata
• 30 ml tomato paste
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper

For serving:

• Freshly cooked pasta (spaghetti/linguini/tagliatelle)
• More parmesan cheese, finely grated
• A few fresh basil leaves

Method

Prepare the meatballs:

1. Place the breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl and stir to moisten all over.
2. Add the mince, onion, garlic, egg, parsley and parmesan, season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Mix with a spoon/spatula until just incorporated, then gently shape into large balls using a serving spoon and clean hands (+/- 10 large or 14 medium).
4. Arrange the meatballs in a casserole dish and set aside while you make the sauce.
5. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200° C.

Prepare the sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and fry the garlic over medium heat for a minute, then add the passata, wine, sugar and season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir, then bring to a simmer.
3. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then pour all over the prepared meatballs and bake at 200° C for 40-45 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and serve hot with freshly cooked pasta, topped with grated parmesan and fresh basil.