UMAMU Estate Cabernet Merlot with Smoked Cheese Stuffed Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Sauce
Our Margaret River Cabernet Merlot is perfect for winter and when the days are cold and short. There's nothing better to nourish the soul than a hearty meal paired with a great red wine.
Ingredients & Method:
Roasted tomato sauce:
1 kg ripe tomatoes
1 large onion
Fresh or dried herbs eg: oregano, rosemary, marjoram, to taste
4 salted anchovy fillets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsps tomato paste
Roughly chop tomatoes, onion, herbs and anchovies. Place ingredients in a high sided roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, water, sugar, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Season to taste. Roast in a 180C oven until vegetables are soft and browned, approximately 40 minutes. Pour vegetables and liquids from roasting pan into a blender/ food processor with 2 tbsps tomato paste, pulse into a smooth sauce. Add more water and seasoning if required. Pour the sauce back into the roasting pan and set aside while you make the meatballs.
Meatballs:
1 medium onion
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
Handful roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
100g bread
250g pork mince
250g veal or beef mince
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
250g smoked cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)
In a food processor finely chop peeled onion, carrot, garlic, parsley and bread. Put into a large bowl with minced meats, add spices and salt & pepper to taste. Mix with clean wet hands until ingredients are well combined. Cut cheese into about 1.5cm cubes. With wet hands, shape mince into balls the size of golf balls, press a cube of cheese into each ball and reshape the mince around it, ensuring that cheese in fully sealed within the mince. Arrange meatballs into the roasting pan and cover with the tomato sauce. Bake in a 180C oven for approximately 40 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with al dente cooked pasta of choice.
Pasta:Spaghetti, angel hair, linguine – or a pasta of your choice
Pair with our Gold Medal Cabernet Merlot 2017.