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Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Orzo Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Orzo

Serve the meatballs, plain orzo, and a few spoonfuls of sauce separately on the child's plate, cutting the meatballs into quarters for safety.

Prep Time 18 min
Cook Time 40 min
Servings 4
Calories 680 kcal
Equipment
skillet stove skillet oven

Ingredients

Produce
Protein
Dairy
Pantry
child_care

Kid-Friendly Version

Serve the meatballs, plain orzo, and a few spoonfuls of sauce separately on the child's plate, cutting the meatballs into quarters for safety.

Recipe

1

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2

Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the carrot and zucchini. Set aside.

child_care Reserve a small handful of grated carrot for the child's plain portion.
3

In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, half the diced onion, half the minced garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, oregano, and cumin. Mix gently with your hands until just combined.

child_care Set aside 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture before adding spices for a plain mini meatball for the child.
4

Shape the mixture into 12 equal meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

child_care Shape the reserved plain mixture into 2 small meatballs for the child.
5

Bake the meatballs for 12–15 minutes until browned and cooked through (internal temperature 71°C).

child_care Bake the child's plain meatballs on a separate corner of the sheet, checking at 10 minutes.
6

While the meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes until softened.

7

Add the grated carrot and zucchini to the skillet, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the crushed tomatoes, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

child_care Before adding tomatoes, scoop out a small portion of the cooked vegetables for the child's plate.
8

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain.

child_care Reserve a small bowl of plain cooked orzo for the child before adding sauce.
9

Add the baked meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve over the orzo, topped with grated Parmesan.

child_care For the child, serve the plain meatballs, plain orzo, and a spoonful of sauce on the side; skip the Parmesan.