Italian-Style Beef & Zucchini Meatballs
with Rosée Sauce over Veggie-Studded Orzo
Cooking time
25 minutes
Servings
4
Calories
650 /serving
Let’s get the ball rolling with an Italian approach to the family meal. Ground beef has a hidden veggie counterpart in these moist and tasty meatballs, thanks to grated zucchini as well as garlic and our Olive Branch seasoning. Once nicely pan-browned, they’ll get coated with a creamy rosée sauce on all sides. Place them down over wee nibbles of orzo pasta laced with morsels of zucchini and string beans for some additional veggie magic.
We will send you:
- 510g Ground beef
- 200g String beans
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 2 Zucchini (green, yellow or heirloom)
- 280g Orzo
- 200ml Tomato sauce
- 60ml Heavy cream
- 15g Olive Branch spices (garlic, red bell pepper, dried black olives, basil, oregano, salt, parsley, lemon powder, sunflower oil, black pepper)
Contains: Milk, Wheat
You will need:
Medium pot
Grater
Strainer
Oil
Salt & pepper (S&P)
2 Large pans
Total Fat
28 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Sodium
480 mg
Total Carb
64 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
37 g
Fibre
5 g
Preparation
Mise en place
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the stem ends of the string beans; cut into 1-inch pieces. Halve the zucchini lengthwise; thinly slice ½ and grate the remaining ½. Mince the garlic.
Boil the orzo
Add the orzo to the pot of boiling water and boil, 9 to 10 min., until just tender. Drain and rinse. Return to the pot and toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking. Keep warm.
Prepare & cook the meatballs
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the beef, grated zucchini, ½ the garlic, ½ the spices and S&P. Form into 16 meatballs about the size of a golf ball. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Add the meatballs* and cook, partially covered, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 min., until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits in the pan. Reserve the pan.
Make the veggie-studded orzo
Meanwhile, in a second large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium. Add the remaining garlic and sauté, 30 sec. to 1 min., until fragrant. Add the sliced zucchini and string beans. Sauté, 3 to 5 min., until browned and tender; season with ½ the remaining spices and S&P. Transfer to the pot of orzo; stir well.
Make the sauce & coat the meatballs
In the reserved pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium. Add the tomato sauce, cream, remaining spices and S&P; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, 1 to 2 min., until slightly thickened. Return the meatballs; toss well.
Plate your dish
Divide the veggie-studded orzo between your plates. Top with the meatballs and sauce. Bon appétit!
*Health Canada recommends cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 71°C.
