PREP, SET & FORGET

Meatballs with Hidden Veg LET THE SLOW COOKER DELIVER FLAVOURSOME MEALS WITH MINIMAL EFFORT!

SERVES 6 PREP & COOK 4 HOURS 30 MINS

1 large red capsicum, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 leek, trimmed, roughly chopped, washed

3 cloves garlic 700ml bottle Passata Tomato Puree with Basil ¼ cup tomato paste

¹⁄³ cup chopped fresh parsley

Cooked spaghetti, to serve

MEATBALLS

1 cup finely grated parmesan

1kg pork and beef mince ¹⁄³ cup dried packaged breadcrumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten 1 medium zucchini (170g), finely grated

80g tube fresh Italian herb paste

1 To make meatballs, reserve ½ cup of parmesan. Set aside. Place remaining parmesan in a large bowl with mince, breadcrumbs, egg, zucchini and paste. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Roll two heaped tablespoons into balls (makes about 22).

2 Heat an oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add meatballs. Cook, turning frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Remove.

3 Process capsicum, carrot, leek and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add ½ cup passata. Process until pureed. Transfer to a removable bowl of a 5 to 6-litre capacity slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining passata and tomato paste.

4 Arrange meatballs over the vegetable mixture, gently pressing into the sauce. Cover with lid.

5 Cook on Low for about 4 hours, or until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in half of the parsley.

6 Combine remaining parsley and reserved parmesan in a bowl.

7 Serve meatballs with spaghetti, and parsley and parmesan mixture.