Cheesy Courgetti & Lean Double Beef Meatball Wholewheat Bake

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and grate your garlic

Combine your mince with half the grated garlic (you'll use the rest later!) and a very generous pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good mix up until thoroughly combined (clean hands are the best way!)

Divide and shape the mince mixture into 3 meatballs per person

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a small drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 2 min on each side or until browned

(Doubled your protein? Use 2 pans!)

Once the meatballs have browned, transfer them to a plate and set aside (these will finish cooking in the sauce later) and reserve the pan

While the meatballs are browning, peel and finely dice your red onion[s]

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a pinch of salt

Once hot, add the diced onion and remaining grated garlic and cook for 6-7 min or until softened and slightly caramelised

Dissolve your beef stock mix in 200ml [275ml] [350ml] boiled water and stir in your dried oregano and your tomato paste – this is your herby stock

Trim the end of your courgette[s] keeping the stalk intact

Without cutting through the stalk, carefully slice the trimmed courgette into thin strips, lengthways (at approx. 5mm intervals)

Then peel lengths off the sliced courgette until you have a pile of 'courgetti'

Once the onion has softened, add your chopped tomatoes, herby stock and half your balsamic vinegar (save the rest for later!) to the pan and cook for 2-3 min or until the sauce has slightly thickened

Meanwhile, chop your basil roughly, including the stalks

Once the sauce has slightly thickened, add half the chopped basil (save the rest for garnish!) with a pinch of salt and a very generous crack of black pepper

Roughly break your pasta up into thirds, add it to the pan along with the courgetti and mix everything together – this is your tomato & basil sauce

Add the tomato & basil sauce to an oven-proof dish with 200ml [275ml] [350ml] boiled water and press down on the broken pasta so that it's submerged in the sauce

Return the browned meatballs to the pan and put the dish in the oven for an initial 20 min or until meatballs are cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your courgetti & meatball bake

While the meatballs are cooking, grate your lighter cheese

Remove the dish from the oven after 20 min and top with the grated cheese

Return the cheesy courgetti & meatball bake to the oven and cook for a final 5 min or until the cheese has melted

Wash the salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper