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Preparation
Step 1
Make the meatballs. Remove the meat from the sausage skins. Mix with the parsley and the chili flakes (if using). Wet your hands and roll the mixture into golf ball-sized rounds, pressing the mix together.
Step 2
Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the meatballs on all sides for 5-6 minutes, working in batches if needed; you don’t want to overcrowd the pan. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Once the meatballs are browned, make the sauce in the same pan. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, carrot, celery and red pepper. Sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes until they are soft and translucent.
Step 4
Add the oregano and sieved tomatoes then pour in 1 cup water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the basil leaves then cook the sauce for 25-30 minutes, until it’s thickened. Season with salt and pepper and discard the basil leaves.
Step 5
When the sauce has 15 minutes left, cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 3 minutes less than the pack instructions. Drain well. Mix the cooked pasta and meatballs in the sauce, then transfer to a large baking dish greased with oil. Leave to cool completely, then wrap tightly with foil. Freeze until needed.
Step 6
When you’re ready to cook the pasta, preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the foil and arrange the mozzarella slices over the top. Scatter with parmesan and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling and the pasta bake is piping hot.
Serve with a simple salad of green leaves tossed with red onion, cucumber and vinaigrette.
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