Meatzza

I caught Nigellas' new cookery show, Nigelissima! the other day, and this was one of the recipes that she showcased. Always one to try something new, I wanted to try this recipe as soon as possible. I had most of the ingredienst to hand so decided to make it for our lunch today. The kids quite liked it, but I found it a bit bland. I am already thinking about what to add to the meat base to zing it up a bit, becausethe meal is a great idea (especially for low-carb followers). I missed the bread though, I felt like it needed a bun becuase it was quite like a burger. Serve it with salad for a yummy lunch idea.

500 g minced beef 
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 
2 Eggs (lightly beaten) 
1 cloves garlic (peeled) 
1 pinch of salt and pepper to taste
butter for greasing 
1 can chopped tomatoes (400g), drained 
1 teaspoons garlic oil 
1 teaspoons dried oregano 
1 ball mozzarella (not buffalo) (125g drained weight, halved then sliced) or grated mozzarella
1 bunch basil leaves


Preheat the oven to 220c. In a large bowl, mix the mince, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic & eggs by hand, gently. Season with salt & pepper Try not to over mix as this will make the base too dense. Grease a small round (about 9 inch) baking tin with butter. Gently press the mince mixture into the pan, squashing into the edges.

 Drain your tin of tomatoes in a sieve to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Mix in the garlic oil, oregano and season. Spread over the meat base, then top with sliced or grated mozzarella. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out into a plate & top with fresh basil.