Rice Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Rice and cheese meatballs in tomato sauce are a quick and very budget-friendly dish: balls of cooked rice simmer in a vegetable gravy with tomato paste. You get a side dish and a full meal in one, and it looks great on the plate. I recommend giving it a try - enjoy!

Rice Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Rice balls with cheese, simmered in a tomato sauce with carrot and onion - a simple, quick and inexpensive dish.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Side dishes

Cuisine: Home cooking

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup rice
• 3 carrots
• 3 onions
• 100 g cheese
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• water
• vegetable oil
• salt
• spices
• herbs

Method

 

1. Boil the rice until half-cooked - or use rice that's already cooked, if you have leftovers.
2. Add grated cheese, salt, spices and the egg to the rice, and mix. Shape into balls by hand and set aside or chill in the fridge.
3. Wash, peel and chop the vegetables. Saute them in a deep pan, add the tomato paste and water, then place the meatballs on top.
   
4. Simmer over low heat until fully cooked. Turn off the heat and serve with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
   

Notes

This dish works well both as a standalone meal and as a side dish.

Tips

• Budget-friendly: leftover cooked rice from the day before works great here - the dish comes together even faster.
• Shape: chill the balls in the fridge before simmering - they hold their shape better.