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Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)

Published 10/04/2014, updated 19/06/2020 8 Comments

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Baked pesto meatballs
Baked 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
Pesto panna cotta

Here, it’s been baked in a simple tomato sauce, with some peppers (capsicum) & tomatoes. I love adding chargrilled peppers 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
Red Chilli Pesto
Pesto Risotto with Salmon
Pesto Risotto
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Affogato Italian Coffee and Gelato Dessert
Affogato Italian Coffee and Gelato Dessert

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Baked pesto meatballs

Baked Pesto Meatballs (Perfect in sauce or as Canapé)


★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
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Description

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


Ingredients

Scale

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

  1. Mix all the meatball ingredients (apart from the oil) in a large bowl.
  2. Make medium sized balls, you should get about 2 dozen.
  3. 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.
  4. Place all the meatballs, in a single layer, in a large, oven proof dish and turn the oven on to 180˚C (350˚F).
  5. 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.
  6. Fry the onions for about 5 minutes until soft.
  7. Add everything else in and bring to a simmer. Check seasoning.
  8. 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.
  9. Serve with pasta, bread or rice.
  10. Some mozzarella will go very nicely if serving the Baked Pesto Meatballs with pasta or bread.
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4-6

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @azlinbloor on Instagram and hashtag it #linsfood

Comments

  1. Joe PK says

    17/01/2018 at 2:36 pm

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

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      17/01/2018 at 3:51 pm

      I’m glad you approve, many thanks!

      Reply
  2. Timothy Lee says

    22/02/2017 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!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      22/02/2017 at 11:23 am

      Thank you Timothy!

      Reply
  3. Marsha Davenport says

    25/05/2015 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!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      27/05/2015 at 9:24 am

      That makes my day, Marsha. Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know!

      Reply
  4. Dawn Esposito says

    12/04/2014 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!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      13/04/2014 at 10:50 am

      Thank you, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

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Hey folks, I’m Azlin Bloor; former chef, culinary instructor and mum of 4.
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