Home made meatballs can be so fit! The first time I made them was under the expertise of Ian Chambers at The Seven Bees, when we were making meat balls to go with fresh pasta. I personally don't eat pasta as it's empty calories, dense, mostly useless, carbs and full of gluten... but I appreciate that a lot of people love it. However, meatballs don't have to just go with pasta and if you're looking for a hearty Italian dish that's carb-free, here's an idea. Italians are known for their relaxed way of life late dinners. This takes a long time to cook, but it's so worth it. Relax and have some red wine while you wait for it to cook.

Aubergine, Meatball and Mozerella Bake

This was a BBC goodfood recipe that was first interpreted by my wonderful friend Rosie (Rosie Posie Puddings and Pies) for a dinner she cooked me. She substituted the focaccia for a bed spiralized courgette for me and it was amazing. I decided to make it for my housemates but with aubergine and herby meatballs.

The meatballs

Bunch of thyme - chopped up small

Bunch of rosemary - chopped up small

Tblsp of Gemanos chilli garlic sauce

half a red onion - chopped up small

Loads of mince (500g) - makes looooads of meatballs - save them for another day or freeze 'em!

The rest:

Two balls of mozerella - cut into big chunks

Two cans of chopped tomatoes

One aubergine - chopped up small 

Bunch of basil

How:

Make the meatballs by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl and then making them into little equally sized balls.

Empty the two cans of tomatoes into a big baking tray

place the meatballs amongst the tomatoes and add the aubergines 

Bake on 120 for an hour or until the aubergine is soft and gooey. Put the mozerella all over and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes

. When it's ready, sprinkle the torn basil over the top and serve with more red wine and optional bread for the big boys at the table.