Spiced Lamb meatballs in roasted butternut squash sauce
When you invite friends or family over for a meal, cooking can be stressful. I avoid the stress by making dishes that I be prepare or even cook in advance, so when they arrive I only need to reheat or finish off my creation. These spiced lamb meatballs in squash sauce is one of these dishes – very tasty, a bit time-consuming to make but most of the work can be done hours ore the day before. It’s very suitable for dinner parties or larger get-togethers (you’ll need to make more meatballs – the sauce would be enough for approx. 12 people). Serve it with flatbread, couscous or rice.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the squash into slices and put them in a baking tin.
- Cut the onions into 4 wedges (with the skin on) then tuck them between the squash. Add the garlic cloves (with skin on). Scatter some oregano and chilli flakes on top, then season with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until all veggies are soft. Let them cool.
- Remove the skin and put the flesh of the squash, garlic and onion into a saucepan together with the cooking jus. Add the tinned tomatoes, spices and stock. Cook for 15 minutes then turn off the heat. Add the fresh coriander/parsley and some lemon juice. Pulse with a stick blender until you get a smooth, silky sauce. Set aside.
- Mix all ingredients for the meatballs together and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
- Form small balls from the mince mixture and put them onto a baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes until golden (alternatively deep-fry them for 2-5 minutes). Transfer them to a plate, lined with kitchen paper.
- Pour the sauce in a large, shallow casserole dish, add the meatballs and heat the them through.
- Serve with pasta, couscous, rice or flat bread.