Description
This Meatball Orzo Bake is a delicious, one-pot Italian-inspired dish combining savory meatballs, tender orzo pasta, and vibrant vegetables baked to perfection with melted mozzarella. It’s a simple, flavorful, and comforting family-friendly meal ready in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 340 g Meatballs
- 1 Onion (Peeled and chopped)
- 3 Garlic cloves (Peeled and chopped)
- 300 g Broccoli
- 1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 300 g Dried orzo (Uncooked)
- 500 g Passata
- 600 ml Vegetable stock (Made with a cube is fine)
- 75 g Mozzarella
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200℃ fan/220℃/Gas Mark 7/400°F to prepare for baking the dish.
- Combine initial ingredients: In a baking dish, toss together the meatballs, chopped onion, garlic, broccoli, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, olive oil, salt, and pepper until everything is evenly coated.
- First bake: Place the baking dish uncovered in the oven and bake for 10 minutes to start cooking the meatballs and soften the vegetables.
- Add orzo and liquids: Remove the dish from the oven. Stir in the dried orzo pasta, passata, and vegetable stock until well combined. Cover the dish with a lid or tin foil.
- Bake orzo mixture: Return the covered dish to the oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. Check at 15 minutes for doneness, adding more water if it appears dry, as orzo cooking times can vary.
- Add cheese on top: Once the orzo is cooked through, remove the cover and sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.
- Final bake: Bake uncovered for a further 5 minutes to melt and lightly brown the cheese.
- Serve: Check again that the orzo is tender and serve the hot, cheesy meatball orzo bake immediately.
Notes
- This one-pot dish is easy to prepare, combining all ingredients in a single baking dish for minimal cleanup.
- Cooking time for orzo can vary by brand; keep an eye on it after 15 minutes and add a splash of water if needed.
- Feel free to swap broccoli for other vegetables like spinach or bell peppers to suit your taste.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 674 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 832 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 79 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 76 mg
