Chicken & Pork Meatball Pasta Bake

I made these meatballs recently and decided they are now my absolutle favourite. The pork sausage meat has just the right about of fat levels to keep it juicy and moist and the chicken adds a little firmness and flavour. I had planned to make meatball lasagne but changed my mind at the last minute to a pasta bake. Its pretty much the same in theory. Still the fresh tomato sauce, still the creamy béchamel, topped with bubbling melted cheese.

You can, of course, buy the sauces from a store, for ease and to cut down the time, It took me an hour to make the whole thing from scratch, so decide how much or how little you want to do. I have added the recipes for both the tomato sauce and the béchamel. Its absolutely worth it and everyone will love it!! Comfort food at its best.

For the meatballs:

400g pork sausages, skins removed
2 chicken breasts, skinless & chopped
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
a little salt & black pepper
handful fresh basil
1 tbsp. oil

Put all of the about into a food processor and process until well combined. With wet hands, shape the meatballs, about 1 inch diameter. Put into a large frying pan with the oil and cook, turning frequently, until browned. Drain on kitchen paper and set to one side.

Cook 250g pasta (shape of your choice - I used fusilli) in boiling water, until just al dente. Drain and add the meatballs to the pasta.

For the tomato sauce:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. oil
handful fresh basil
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. each salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar

In a small pan, heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic on a gentle heat for a few minutes. Add the basil and stir in. Then add the tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Taste to check for seasoning.

For the béchamel:

40g butter
3 tbsp. flour
(about) 1 pint milk.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Add the milk a good splash at a time and keep stirring to keep the sauce smooth. I say (about) 1 pint milk as you may like it thinner or thicker than me. You can also add some grated cheese at this stage if you like.

To assemble:

Set the oven to 180 C. Spoon some of the tomato sauce into a 9-10 inch diameter dish. Add the pasta and meatballs. Then spoon over more tomato sauce and top with the béchamel sauce. Top with a few handfuls of grated cheddar cheese. Cook for about half an hour until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve with a green side salad.