Baked Meatballs and Cherry Tomato Tagliatelle

Ingredients

700g baby tomatoes

6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

3 tbsp olive oil

250g dried tagliatelle

250g mozzarella, drained onto kitchen paper

For the meatballs

70g fresh breadcrumbs

100ml milk

1 egg, beaten

400g pork and/or beef mince

2 garlic cloves, grated

40g parmesan, plus extra, to serve

1 big handful parsley, finely chopped, plus extra, to serve

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ 350g/gas 6. Once hot, place the tomatoes into a large baking tray with the garlic and olive oil. Season and place in the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the meatballs.

To make the meatballs, combine the breadcrumbs, milk and egg together. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add the remaining meatball ingredients, season and mix together with your hands before shaping into ping pong-sized balls. 

Remove the tomatoes from the oven, gently press them down to deflate them with the back of a fork and give them a good stir. Add the meatballs to the pan, drizzle them with a little oil and return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta. Tear the mozzarella over the meatballs and pop under your grill for a few minutes until nicely melted.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Stir straight into the meatballs pan and stir well to combine. Add a little cooking water to create a wet sauce, then transfer to plates, adding a little grated parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.