Italian Meatloaf with Marinara Sauce

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Spray a 28 cm loaf pan and line it with baking paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the loaf. Have the red pepper diced, sauce onion chopped and garlic minced before heating pans.

   Uses Cooking spray, enough to coat the loaf pan

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat the measured pepper-cooking olive oil (1 tbsp) over high heat. Add all the diced pepper and leave for 1 minute without stirring to begin charring, then stir and cook for about another minute, about 2 minutes in total. Lift the cooked pepper out and set aside.

   First pepper char; then stir · 1 minUses 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking pepper · 1 ½ cups diced red bell pepper, about 1 large

3. 3

   Step 3: Put all the diced stale bread in a large bowl. Grate the whole small meatloaf onion (1 small) directly into it with a box grater, including its juice. Add all the cream (2 tbsp) and squeeze the mixture together until the bread is soaked and begins to disintegrate.

   Uses 2 cups stale white bread, crusts removed and roughly diced, about 3 slices · 1 small onion, grated into the bread mixture · 2 tbsp cream

4. 4

   Step 4: Add all the raw ground pork (400 g), ground beef (800 g), eggs (2), fennel seeds (2 ½ tsp), paprika (3 tsp), meatloaf salt (1 ¾ tsp), black pepper and cooked pepper to the soaked bread mixture. Mix by hand only until combined; avoid overmixing, which makes a dense loaf. Wash your hands and raw-meat utensils before preparing the sauce.

   Uses All the soaked bread mixture · All the cooked pepper lifted from the pan · 400 g raw ground pork · 800 g raw ground beef · 2 eggs · 2 ½ tsp fennel seeds · 3 tsp sweet or smoked paprika · 1 ¾ tsp salt for meatloaf

5. 5

   Step 5: Press the mixture into the lined loaf pan and drizzle with the separate qualitative loaf olive oil. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 30 minutes. While it bakes, make the sauce in the next three steps; the loaf is still partly cooked after this first bake.

   First loaf bake · 30 minUses All the raw loaf mixture · Olive oil, for drizzling over the shaped loaf

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat the separate 1 tbsp sauce olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the already chopped half onion and minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until translucent.

   Soften sauce onion and garlic · 3 minUses 1 tbsp olive oil for sauce · 2 garlic cloves, minced for sauce · ½ onion, finely chopped for sauce

7. 7

   Step 7: Add all the passata, measured water (¾ cup), dried Italian herbs (2 tsp) and optional chilli flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with the sauce salt and pepper to taste.

   Simmer marinara sauce · 5 minUses All the cooked sauce aromatics · 700 g plain tomato passata · ¾ cup water for sauce · 2 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs · Optional 1–3 tsp red chilli flakes · Salt and pepper, to taste in sauce

8. 8

   Step 8: Take the sauce skillet off the stove and keep it ready for the partly baked meatloaf.

   Uses All the sauce in the ovenproof skillet

9. 9

   Step 9: After the first 30-minute loaf bake, take the loaf pan out of the oven. Using oven gloves and the baking-paper overhang, carefully lift the partly baked loaf onto a heat-safe surface, then slide it into the skillet of marinara sauce. Remove the baking paper and retain all the loaf-pan juices for the next step.

   Uses The partly baked loaf lifted by its paper; keep juices in the loaf pan · All the prepared sauce

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour all the retained loaf-pan juices into the sauce skillet. Return the skillet to the 180°C / 350°F oven for 30–40 minutes, checking from 30 minutes, until the meatloaf is fully cooked through to 71°C / 160°F at its centre and the sauce is hot and bubbling. Continue as needed for that endpoint.

    Finish loaf; check at 30 min · 30 minUses All the loaf and sauce in the skillet · All juices left after lifting out the partly baked loaf

11. 11

    Step 11: Take the skillet out of the oven and rest for 5 minutes before slicing the loaf. Spoon the hot marinara sauce over the slices and garnish with optional Parmesan.

    Rest cooked meatloaf · 5 minUses All the cooked loaf and sauce · Parmesan, optional garnish

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Serve as six to eight portions, with separately prepared mashed potatoes or pasta if desired.

    Uses All the sliced loaf and sauce · Mashed potatoes or pasta, already prepared separately, optional alongside