Polpettone in tomato sauce

This prosciuttowrapped terrine baked in a puddle of tasty tomato sauce and sprinkled with parmesan is a total winner — that perfect marriage of the familiar with a few twists. It sits firmly in the comfort food column, but is fancy enough to serve when friends come over. Serve it with crusty bread and mixed lettuce dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Because there was a woodfired oven lit and ready to go, we finished off the dish in there, but a regular hot oven is fine.

Serves 8 Prep time 25

minutes + overnight

chilling

Cook time 23⁄4

hours

2 cups (120g) fresh breadcrumbs

1⁄2 cup (125ml) milk

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

500g pork mince

500g beef mince

2 eggs

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 large handful sage leaves, finely chopped 1 Tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped 2 Tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped

1⁄4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

8 slices prosciutto

1 cup (95g) grated parmesan cheese

Tomato sauce

1⁄4 cup (60ml) olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

800g tin whole peeled Italian tomatoes

6 basil leaves

1⁄4 cup (60ml) red wine vinegar 1 tsp sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180degC. Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl and leave to soften.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Leave to cool, then tip the mixture into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture, along with the pork, beef, eggs, mustard, herbs, nutmeg and about a teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Line a 30cm x 12cm loaf tin with the prosciutto, leaving the slices overhanging the sides. Firmly pack the meat mixture into the tin. Fold the prosciutto over the top and tightly cover with foil. Place in a roasting tin and carefully pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.

Remove the loaf tin from the water and weigh the meatloaf down with a few tins of tomatoes (or whatever is in the pantry), then pop it into the fridge to cool completely, preferably overnight.

For the sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large heavybased frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 10 minutes or until soft and just beginning to caramelise. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Tip in the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. Add the basil, vinegar and sugar and cook for 20 minutes.

About 40 minutes before you’re ready to eat, heat the oven to 200degC . Turn the meatloaf out into a roasting tin or ovenproof serving platter with high sides. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf, sprinkle the parmesan over the top and cook for 30 minutes or until the meatloaf is completely heated through and the cheese is melted and golden.