Name: Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: The Meatballs; 500g (1.1 lb) minced beef; 100g (3.5 oz) pesto, preferably home made; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 80g (2.5 oz) white breadcrumbs, about 3 slices of bread; 60g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated; small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped; 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, depending on how fatty your meat is; The Sauce; 400g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes; 1 large onion, sliced; half each, green and red capsicum, sliced, fresh or chargrilled; 2 tomatoes, in rounds, or handful roasted; 2 Tbsp sundried tomato paste; 1 Tbsp olive oil, if needed; salt and pepper to taste

pesto meatballs

I love beef and I love pesto, so combining the two, much like our pesto panna cotta (image below), was an inevitable happenstance!

Baked pesto meatballs make a great alternative flavour to your regular meatball pasta dish but one of my favourite ways of serving them is also as a canapé, at the end of a cocktail stick, with either a piece of cheese, cucumber or marinated/roasted tomato.

Pesto Panna Cotta

Here, it’s been baked in a simple tomato sauce, with some peppers (capsicum) & tomatoes. I love adding c har grilled p eppers and roasted tomatoes for added depth.

You’ll find the recipe for homemade pesto here, it’s a 5 minute job, so, please do make it yourself.

For more Italian recipes, head on over to the Italian page, for favourites like:

: Red Chilli Pesto

: Pesto Risotto

: Spaghetti alla Carbonara

: Arrosto Misto (Italian Mixed Roast)

: Affogato Italian Coffee and Gelato Dessert

Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)

Rate this recipe

20 ratings

Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

45 minutes

Total Time:

1 hour, 5 minutes

Delicious Italian meatballs with a twist - these ones are zinged up with pesto!

Author: Azlin Bloor

Yield: Serves 4-6

Category: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

The Meatballs

500g (1.1 lb) minced beef
100g (3.5 oz) pesto, preferably home made
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
80g (2.5 oz) white breadcrumbs, about 3 slices of bread
60g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, depending on how fatty your meat is

The Sauce

400g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
half each, green and red capsicum, sliced, fresh or chargrilled
2 tomatoes, in rounds, or handful roasted
2 Tbsp sundried tomato paste
1 Tbsp olive oil, if needed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix all the meatball ingredients (apart from the oil) in a large bowl.
Make medium sized balls, you should get about 2 dozen.
Heat the oil on medium high heat and brown the meatballs, turning them, for about 2 minutes each side. Do this in batches, no overcrowding as you want the meatballs to fry not stew.
Place all the meatballs, in a single layer, in a large, oven proof dish and turn the oven on to 180˚C (350˚F).
We'll be using the same pan for the sauce. If there is much fat left, tip all but 1 tbsp of it out. Add the 1 tbsp of olive oil if not. Heat this on medium heat.
Fry the onions for about 5 minutes until soft.
Add everything else in and bring to a simmer. Check seasoning.
Pour this sauce all over the meatballs and bake in the hot oven for 25-30 minutes, at which point the sauce will be bubbling at the edges.
Serve with pasta, bread or rice.
Some mozzarella will go very nicely if serving the Baked Pesto Meatballs with pasta or bread.

Nutrition information

4-6

Nutrition label for Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)

https://www.linsfood.com/baked-pesto-meatballs/

Comments

Joe PK says
17th January 2018 at 2:36 pm

What a fabulous recipes! Never thought to add pesto to the actual meatballs – genius!

- Azlin Bloor says
  17th January 2018 at 3:51 pm
  
  I’m glad you approve, many thanks!
  
Timothy Lee says
22nd February 2017 at 11:15 am

Azlin, I love these! And I love your other pesto recipes too, you are so clever! Have subscribe to your blog, Chef!

- Azlin Bloor says
  22nd February 2017 at 11:23 am
  
  Thank you Timothy!
  
Marsha Davenport says
25th May 2015 at 11:30 am

I was on your pesto page, and had to come and look at this recipe, as I love meatballs! Well, I have to tell you that I made them last weekend for a party and everybody wanted the recipe. Thank you!

- Azlin Bloor says
  27th May 2015 at 9:24 am
  
  That makes my day, Marsha. Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know!
  
Dawn Esposito says
12th April 2014 at 2:13 pm

Wow, this is simply amazing, never thought to make meatballs with pesto. I bet they taste amazing, thank you, I’ll have to give these a go!

- Azlin Bloor says
  13th April 2014 at 10:50 am
  
  Thank you, let me know how it goes!