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–+ servings

Air Fryer Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Easy, quick, delicious saucy spaghetti with cheesy oozy mozzarella filled meatballs!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Saucepan for the Sauce
  • 1 Large Pot for the Pasta
  • 1 Large bowl for the meatballs
  • 1 Sheet pan to cook the meatballs

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs

  • 250 g beef mince
  • ½ onion finely chopped
  • Handful of fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 30 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 125 g mozzarella cut into cubes

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3-4 tablespoon pasta water
  • Fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Pasta

  • 300 g Spaghetti

Instructions
 

Prepare the Meatballs:

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the beef mince with the chopped onion, fresh parsley, oregano, paprika, grated parmesan, breadcrumbs and the beaten egg
    250 g beef mince, Handful of fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp paprika, 30 g grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, 1 egg, ½ onion
  • Take a small ball of the meatball mixture and flatten it slightly into the palm of your hand, add a cube of the mozzarella to the middle of the ball
    125 g mozzarella
  • Pinch the edges together to encase the mozzarella in the middle of the meatball, roll into a ball in the palm of your hands and repeat with the remaining mixture
  • Preheat your airfryer to 200°C (400°F) and place the meatballs on an air fryer basket, cook for 20 minutes or until slightly crispy and cooked through. Alternatively you can bake them in the oven at the same temperature for about 25 minutes, turning over half way

Prepare the Sauce

  • While the meatballs are cooking, get started on the sauce by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat
  • Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft and golden
    1 onion
  • Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for a further minute until fragrant
    2 cloves garlic
  • Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir together along with the tomato paste, dried oregano, sugar and salt and pepper to taste
    400 g can chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, Salt & pepper to taste, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring ocasionally

Cook the Pasta

  • While the sauce is simmering and meatballs are cooking, cook the spaghetti or your favorite pasta according to package instructions until it is al dente. Reserve 3-4 tablespoon of the pasta to add to the sauce before draining.
    300 g Spaghetti

Combine and Serve

  • Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until the sauce has evenly coated the pasta, if the sauce is too thick add in the reserved pasta water
    3-4 tbsp pasta water
  • Add the spaghetti to plates and place the cooked meatballs on top
  • Garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese
    Fresh basil leaves, Grated parmesan cheese

Notes

If placing the meatballs on an oven tray or dish rather than on a wire rack the meatballs may drip fat on to the tray. If this happens, remove the tray from the air fryer or oven half way through cooking and wipe the fat with a paper towel before placing them back in
There is a possibility that if the meatballs haven't binded fully that the mozzarella may leak through the bottom. To prevent this, add a thin layer of meat to the bottom of the meatball before placing in the air fryer for extra protection to the bottom, make sure it is binded to the rest of the meatball
Keyword air fryer, baked meatballs, best meatball recipe, cheesy, comfort food, dinner, easy, family, homemade, how to make meatballs, meatballs, meatballs for kids, pasta, quick, simple meatballs, speedy, tomato sauce
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