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Sticky Toffee Cake

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slice cut out of date cake with ice cream on top

This sticky toffee cake is sweetened mostly with dates, moist and fluffy with an easy and rich toffee sauce poured on top. It’s extra special and made easily in one pan!

What is sticky toffee cake?

Also known as sticky toffee pudding, this is actually one of my favorite desserts. It’s decadent and over the top, a classic British dessert consisting of a date infused cake with a hot toffee sauce poured on top.

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to round it off and you’ve got yourself a sensation. This is commonly served in restaurants because it’s such a wow dessert, but it’s so easy to make at home!

slice cut out of date cake with melting ice cream on top

Why add dates to cake?

Date’s are nature’s candy with a taste that has more than a little resemblance to caramel or toffee, two of my favorite flavors. Even if you don’t like dates, I can’t see you not liking this dessert.

The dates are briefly soaked in hot water with some baking soda to break them down, and folded into the cake batter.

They basically melt down into a golden sweetness that just deepens the flavor of the cake sponge. You can keep them as chunky or as smooth as you like, depending on if you want bits of dates throughout.

What makes this cake so good?

It’s moist and fluffy at the same time. It’s sweet and complex with the flavor of dates. Stores very well too!

The best part is when the cake comes out of the oven and is poked all over and warm toffee sauce is poured on top to moisten the whole cake and infuse it with that beautiful toffee flavor.

It’s a dessert that manages to be homey and elegant at the same time and will leave you licking your fingers!

What goes into this sticky date cake?

I took a recipe of Nigella Lawson’s, that got rated very well and made it a couple times. The first time, I used molasses as a substitute for the black treacle she uses. It was dark and intense and delicious.

The second time, I used honey because I wanted this cake to consist of ingredients I always have in my pantry- I don’t always have molasses, and it can be hard to find in the Middle East.

The honey made this cake lighter and more fragrant. It was lovely! I will say use either interchangeably .

I also reduced the amount of butter and sugar in Nigella’s original toffee sauce slightly. It was still as decadent as ever, so I’m happy with that change.

I also added a pinch of cardamom which goes SO well with dates, but you can feel free to leave that out.

different preparation stages for date cake

The sticky toffee pudding cake base:

Dates: are first softened with hot water and baking soda, which breaks down their more fibrous parts.

Eggs: Use room temperature so they incorporate more easily into the batter

Butter: Room temperature

Honey or Molasses

Dark Brown Sugar: I used this in place of the dark muscovado sugar Nigella uses, because it’s what I had on hand. It has a richer flavor and color than light brown sugar.

Flour, plenty of baking powder for fluffiness, and a hint of salt.

The sauce ingredients:

toffee sauce being poured on sticky date cake

Butter:

Plenty of Dark Brown Sugar

Honey or Molasses

Heavy cream ( whipping cream).

It’s a very easy sauce to make. The butter and sugar need to melt together and dissolve at which point the heavy cream is added. Once it boils, the sauce comes off the stove at which point it’ll thicken very nicely.

Store extra sauce in the fridge, and just microwave a few seconds to get it hot and loose again.

To serve:

Serve with extra toffee sauce for those so incline , and something to cut the sweetness. This can be good quality vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. Serve the cake warm, after the cake has had its 20 minute soaking time! Your guests will be enthralled.

scoop of vanilla ice cream held over date cake

To store:

Store any leftovers (yeah, what are those?) tightly covered with foil in the fridge. To eat, just warm up in the microwave , and also microwave any extra sauce for topping if desired.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - one of my favorite desserts ever

The Best Sticky Toffee Pudding

Rich and moist, a date and toffee cake that’s topped with extra luscious toffee sauce. This is especially easy because it’s baked in one pan instead of individual molds. It’s absolutely delicious served warm with ice cream or extra cream.
5 from 10 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: European
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 370kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 200 g soft pitted dried dates, roughly chopped
  • 200 ml boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon honey (or molasses)
  • 50 g dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 150 g flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the toffee sauce:

  • 125 g unsalted butter
  • 200 g dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or molasses
  • 200 ml heavy whipping cream
  • pinch sea salt flakes for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking dish.
  • Place dates in a bowl, and pour boiling water on top. Add baking soda and stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Cream the butter and honey together in a stand mixer until well combined. Add the brown sugar and mix until combined and no lumps remain. Add one egg and beat until well incorporated, then repeat with the second egg
  • Reducing the speed of the stand mixer, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom if using. Stir until combined and a thick smooth batter forms. Add in the dates with any of their remaining water and fold in until just combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Make the sauce while cake is in the oven.

To make the toffee sauce:

  • Combine the butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, and stir gently until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved. Add the whipping cream, increase the heat to medium and bring sauce to a boil. Once it has started to bubble remove from the heat.
  • As soon as the cake is out of the oven, poke it all over with a toothpick or skewer, creating small holes. Pour about 1/4 of the warm toffee sauce all over the cake surface until it has an even glaze across the top. Let cake stand 20-30 minutes to soak in the sauce, then sprinkle with sea salt if desired, and serve.
  • Serve with the remaining toffee sauce on the side, and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @everylittlecrumb or tag #everylittlecrumb!

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Date Scones

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble

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Chicken Kabsa

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Chicken on a bed of spiced kabsa rice with mixed nuts and raisins, with two small bowls of tomato sauce and yogurt on the side.

Chicken kabsa is a traditional spiced rice dish originating from Saudi Arabia. Famous for a good reason: rich chicken flavor, fragrant spice, sweetness from shredded carrots and raisins. The chicken is boiled to make it’s own stock, then broiled in the oven till golden brown and crispy. Topped with fried golden nuts, and fresh herbs, it’s a revelation.

Making kabsa intimidated me, as tasty as it is. Gulf-centric dishes are definitely not my area of expertise. It took long enough for me to get the hang of Palestinian dishes. Then, my Saudi friend forwarded me this video. My friend raved about it, so it got the stamp of approval of someone very familiar with kabsa, and the video itself has almost 2 million views. Sold! I adapted quite a few things to suit my own preferences, but this was a great base to start with.

Chicken kabsa- the cooking process:

First, cook onions and ginger in oil until fragrant. Brown the raw chicken in this deliciousness, and add some spices, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water to cover the chicken. Boil the chicken until cooked through, then transfer the chicken to the oven to crisp it up. Cook the rice and shredded carrots in the same tomato spiced chicken stock.

The herbs:

Feel free to riff, but this recipe calls for homemade kabsa spice consisting of cardamom, dried black lime(loumi), cinnamon powder and cloves powder. I also added some store bought kabsa spice because I had it sitting around and figured why not. Loumi, or dried preserved lime is used in a lot of Gulf recipes. It’s hard to explain what it is, so if you don’t know check out this link. It gives a strong, citrusy and pungent flavor to your dish. Lots of umami!

The rice:

Rice gets all its flavor from being cooked in the chicken stock sauce, with some shredded carrot that give it some barely detectable sweetness. Soak and rinse the rice well to make sure it cooks perfectly. Mine was a bit mushy, I might have had too much liquid in the first place but we loved it regardless.

The chicken:

Traditionally, kabsa is made with skin on chicken. My husband has a thing with chicken skin, so we did ours with skinless chicken. The butcher removed the skin and quartered the chicken for us, so he did all the hard work. It still comes out great, but it won’t look as brown in the oven. You do have the option of cooking it with or without skin depending on preference. The chicken needs to finish cooking stove top in the water, so by the time you broil it in the oven all it really needs to do is get some color and crisp on it.

The garnish:

Very important. I’m usually pretty flexible with garnishing. I’ll tell you it’s optional or if desired. In this case, toasted nuts are NOT optional. They are absolutely essential for a delicious chicken kabsa. You can however choose what nuts you use. I recommend cashews, peeled whole almonds and pine nuts. Toast them in some hot olive oil until golden brown and crispy, and keep them aside. You’ll also toast some golden raisins until they kind of plump up and turn golden brown. I used to push the raisins on kabsa to the side (yes, I also avoid them in um ali) but now I embrace that little burst of sweetness that comes through when I bite into one. For some color, sprinkle some fresh herbs like coriander on top.

Serve with:

Chicken kabsa is usually served with daqous, which is a Gulf flavored spiced tomato sauce. You can also eat it with yogurt, a yogurt and cucumber salad, or a green salad.

So without further ado, I hope you make and enjoy this kabsa! If you have any kabsa making tips or anything else on your mind please leave a comment below.

Chicken on a bed of spiced kabsa rice with mixed nuts and raisins, with two small bowls of tomato sauce and yogurt on the side.

Chicken Kabsa

A traditional Gulf dish of flavorful spiced rice with golden roasted chicken, garnished with toasted nuts and raisins
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 700kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1-2 potatoes cut into cubes, optional
  • 2 cups onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 chicken, quartered
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 3/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon clove powder
  • 1 piece dried lemon (loumi)
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes, or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • A little vegetable oil to coat the chicken

For the Rice:

  • 1 1/2 cup basmati rice soaked in water for 45 min
  • 2 cups shredded carrots

For Topping:

  • 1/2 cup peeled whole almonds
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup cashew nuts
  • 1/3 cup light brown raisins

Instructions

For the chicken:

  • Preheat oven to 200 C (400F). This is to brown your chicken once it has boiled.
  • Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. If using potatoes, add them now and cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the onions and grated ginger. Cook until light golden brown.
  • Add the chicken pieces, and cook till lightly browned. Add the spices (salt, pepper, orange zest, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves or clove powder, loumi, and add the tomato paste and diced or canned tomatoes. Let this come to a boil.
  • Once mixture boils, add 1 litre of water until chicken is submerged. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook chicken for 25 minutes or so until cooked through, then remove just the chicken pieces to a baking pan, coat very lightly with oil and put in the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned. You can turn on the ovens broil function for the last few minutes to brown even more. Keep the tomato stock mixture on the stove to make your rice with.

For the rice:

  • Place the soaked and drained rice in the tomato stock mixture, along with the shredded carrots. Bring to a boil, then cover with the lid (you can also place a kitchen towel tightly under the lid to further absorb moisture) and cook over medium low heat for 25 minutes or until rice has fully absorbed the liquid.

For the kabsa garnish:

  • In a medium skillet, add a small amount of oil, then add the almonds and cashews, stirring for a few minutes until starting to turn golden brown. If using pine nuts, add them now because they cook faster. Stir nuts and cook until golden brown, then immediately remove from skillet to a paper towel lined plate to prevent them from burning.
  • Add the golden raisins, and stir, cooking for a few minutes until they brown and inflate a little. Remove from skillet to a paper towel lined plate.

To assemble:

  • Place the rice first onto your serving plate. Put the chicken pieces on top, then scatter the toasted nuts and raisins evenly on top. You can garnish with coriander right before serving. Serve with daqous (spicy tomato sauce) or yogurt or a green salad.

Notes

Recipe loosely adapted from : Saudi Food with Eman

Nutrition

Calories: 700kcal
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @everylittlecrumb or tag #everylittlecrumb!

Kunafa

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Kunafa drizzled with sugar syrup being lifted out of a plate

The perfect kunafa. Crispy shredded pastry, ooey and gooey stretchy cheese, and a rose water scented creamy semolina pudding. And this is all a lot more approachable than you might think!

I never, ever appreciated the beauty of Kunafa until I grew older. I clearly remember as a kid and teenager declining the obligatory family gathering kunafa without the faintest idea of what I was missing.

So much lingering regret about how much kunafa I missed out on eating. I’m spending my life making up for lost time. The best kunafa is in Jordan (yes I’m going there) with the exception of kunafa bilkaak from Lebanon- that’s kunafa that’s placed in toasted sesame kaak bread and soaked with syrup.

I reside in Bahrain, so both are out of my reach and I knew I needed to find the perfect recipe for whenever my craving hits.

So what is Kunafa?

It is a glorious confection of soft melty cheese (or cream), sandwiched with shredded phyllo dough, and soaked in a rose and orange water scented syrup.

It’s baked until golden brown and crispy. EAT IT WARM, when the cheese stretches out in soft strands to contrast with the crunchy bottom and upper layer.

Traditionally, it’s made with Akkawi or Nabulsi cheese. With these cheeses, you need to desalt them by soaking them in water. Those can be hard to source, and they need a lot of prep work before they can use them. They are really, really salty off the bat.

However, this recipe adapted from the amazing Cleobuttera uses none other than very accessible mozzarella cheese!

slice of kunafa being lifted out of a plate

I love this recipe. It uses both mozzarella cheese and a rose water scented semolina pudding, ensuring the filling stays soft and gooey and the cheese doesn’t harden once out of the oven.

What are the different types of kunafa?

The first thing you need to consider is the dough.

There are two main types, naameh aw khishna (fine kunafa or coarse kunafa)

Kunafa Naameh: is made with a semolina based dough that is then ground into a breadcrumb type texture. It’s usually more work because you need to make this dough from scratch. It’s usually one layer- one layer of cheese topped with one layer of the semolina dough.

Kunafa khishna (coarse), what we are making today, is usually made with a special shredded phyllo dough, which is usually found in the freezer section. This can be one layered (cheese topped with the dough) or two layered like this recipe, where the cheese is sandwiched between two dough layers.

If you can’t find it, you can try this recipe I have for kunafa kazaba (translates to lying kunafa lol) which uses breadcrumbs for the crust! It’s delicious too.

The second consideration is the filling: cheese or cream?

What makes this kunafa so good?

It’s the perfect marriage of kunafa bil-ishta (kunafa stuffed with cream) and kunafa biljibne (cheese kunafa). You get the best of both worlds- the stretchy oozing cheese, and the smooth and rich cream.

The cream keeps the knafeh moist even when it cools, as opposed to recipes using only cheese which hardens quickly at room temperature.

The recipe below seems like a lot of steps, but you get through them quickly!

Plus, you get the ultimate reward at the end. It is absolutely delicious. Just make it. Enjoy it with friends, and a warm cup of red tea!

If you’ve never tried this completely classic and delicious Middle Eastern desset before, trust me, now is the time.

Steps to make kunafa:

Ingredients you need to make kunafa

Make the sugar syrup:

We use sugar syrup in a lot of Middle Eastern desserts. It’s a fragrant syrup enhanced with rose water and orange blossom water

It needs just a few basic ingredients: sugar, water, lemon juice, rose water, and orange blossom water.

The ratio of sugar and water is nearly double the sugar to the amount of water.

What is rose water and orange blossom water?

Simply put, the water made from steeping rose petals and orange blossom petals. They both have a very distinctive flavor that’s floral and beautifully scented. They are very commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine and we often use orange blossom water to help with stomach ailments!

To make the sugar syrup, we combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir a little initially to dissolve the sugar, then back off so the sugar doesn’t crystallize.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. It will still be a little liquidy, sort of the texture of pancake syrup- not as thick as honey. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the kunafa. Once off the heat, add in the rose water and orange blossom water.

This recipe makes a pretty good amount, but leftover syrup will keep well in the fridge for 7-10 days, and I always serve kunafa with extra syrup. I always ladle on more for myself before eating!

Make the semolina pudding:

The semolina pudding is made with a mixture of milk and heavy cream for richness, semolina, sugar, a little cornstarch to thicken, and rose water that gets added off the heat.

You add these to a pan on medium high heat, and be sure to keep whisking so the pudding doesn’t clump up. Once it boils, reduce the heat and keep whisking around 5 minutes until pudding thickens. Let it cool slightly at which point it’ll thicken some more.

Make the cheese filling:

The easiest cheese filling you’ll ever make for kunafa! Simply mix together mozzarella cheese with a little sugar and rose water for a touch of sweetness and fragrance. That’s it!

Any mozzarella works- you can get it grated fresh at the deli counter, or in a packaged bag. I’ve done both and they both turned out equally well.

Prepare the kunafa dough:

Make sure the dough is thawed enough to be able to handle, but it really shouldn’t take that long to thaw on the countertop.

Shred the dough evenly into 1 inch long pieces. I use a combination of my hands and kitchen scissors, figure out what works with you!

Pour the melted ghee or butter on top of the dough and work this through evenly. This is much easier using your fingers. You want to make sure the dough is evenly coated so that the kunafa takes on an even golden brown color and crisps up beautifully in the oven.

Assembling the kunafa:

This makes one large kunafa (12 inches, a deep pan) or two smaller shallower kunafas, 9 inches each. The kunafa photographed on the grey linen is the 9 inch one, and the one on the white background is the larger one.

If you split the mixture into two kunafas, you can freeze one before baking to bake at a later date. Let me tell you, that is one pleasant thing to find in your freezer! Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake as directed.

To assemble, you’ll layer 2/3 of the shredded dough, top with 1/2 the semolina pudding, all the cheese, the remaining 1/2 of the pudding, then the remaining 1/3 of the dough.

Kunafa once it's out of the oven

Bake at 390 F (200C) until golden brown and crispy, around 40-45 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour a good 1/2- 3/4 of the sugar syrup you prepared immediately onto the hot kunafa to soak in. Let it stand just a few minutes, then turn onto a serving plate and serve hot with extra syrup on the side.

Recipe below adapted from Cleobuttera.

Storing leftover kunafa:

Leftovers will last 2-3 days in the fridge, or 2-3 months in the freezer.
Either way, you can reheat in a hot oven or in the microwave.

You can also store unbaked kunafa in the freezer for 2-3 months, thaw overnight or for several hours then bake as directed in the recipe

Kunafa cut up with a slice on a plate and a bowl of pistachios on the side

Kunafa كنافة

Cheese and cream filled kunafa with golden shredded vermicelli soaked in a rosewater scented sugar syrup 
5 from 8 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
Calories: 650kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP:

  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500 g
  • 1 1/4 cup water 300 ml
  • squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

FOR THE SEMOLINA PUDDING:

  • 1 1/2 cups milk 350 ml
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 180 ml
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoon semolina
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater

FOR THE CHEESE FILLING:

  • 400 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon rosewater

FOR THE KUNAFA CRUST:

  • 500 g kunafa or kataifi/kadaifi pastry frozen (thaw just slightly before using)
  • 1 cup ghee, melted – I used butter flavored 226 grams

Instructions

TO MAKE THE SUGAR SYRUP – can be made up to 1 week in advance

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Set on a stovetop over medium high heat. Stir just to combine then let it be. If sugar isn’t dissolving you can stir a couple times but as soon as it starts to boil stop stirring. 
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from stove immediately once 10 minutes is over. It should have thickened to the consistency of maple syrup.
  • Once off the heat, stir in rosewater an orange blossom water, and transfer to a container to cool.

TO MAKE THE SEMOLINA PUDDING:

  • In a small saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar and semolina. Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1 teaspoon of water and add to the mixture.
  • Place over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, and continue cooking for about 3 more minutes or until mixture thickens into a pudding like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the rosewater. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the kunafa.

TO MAKE THE CHEESE FILLING:

  • Stir together the mozzarella cheese, rosewater, and sugar.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

  • Preheat oven to 200 C/390 F, and grease either two 9 inch pans or a 12 inch pan with ghee or butter. I baked one 9 inch pan and assembled the second and froze it before baking. Yay! Future kunafa party.
  • In a large bowl, shred the konafa dough into 1inch/2.5 cm long pieces. I like doing this with kitchen scissors, and Cleobuttera recommends the kunafa pastry be semi frozen while doing this so If it has thawed completely stick it back in the freezer for an hour or so.
  • Pour the melted ghee over the shredded pastry, and toss with your hands until all strands are evenly coated and glistening with fat. Stir well!
  • Transfer 2/3 of the pastry into the bottom of the prepared pan, and firmly press it down around the bottom and sides. Pack it in tightly, try using the bottom of a measuring cup to get it even and smoothed out.
  • Pour in half of the cooled, semolina pudding and spread into a thin layer. Sprinkle with the cheese mixture and pat down into an even layer. Cover with the remaining semolina pudding.
  • Scatter on the remaining third of kunafa dough evenly over the semolina pudding, pressing lightly to stick it down.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a deep golden brown. When you think it’s done, lift the sides away from the pan with a knife and make sure the sides and bottom are golden brown too. 
  • Remove from oven and immediately pour on 3/4 of the syrup, going in a circular motion to evenly disperse it. Serve the kunafa with the extra syrup for those who want to top up their slice (always me)
  • Garnish with pistachios and serve warm! You can store leftover kunafa in the fridge and reheat in the oven or microwave but there’s nothing like that first slice out of a piping hot fresh kunafa.

Notes

Makes either one 12 inch pan or two 9 inch pans (you can make one and freeze the other before baking for the future)
Recipe adapted from Cleobuttera

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 131g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @everylittlecrumb or tag #everylittlecrumb!
 

 

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Mini Kunafa

Aish El Saraya

Mango Trifle

Did you make this? Tag @everylittlecrumb or hashtag #everylittlecrumb and I’ll share your images! Don’t forget to pin for later!

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

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Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Saucy, cheesy pasta bake with homemade tomato sauce that’s bursting with flavor and the perfect juicy meatballs. Serve this for dinner, and you’ll be everyone’s hero.

Pasta is a little difficult to get bored of because there’s so many variations of pasta. It’s also a fun thing to cook because it’s really customizable. You can get inspired by your pantry ingredients, or whatever fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. This is why I always have canned diced tomatoes and canned tomato sauce in my pantry, as well as dry pasta noodles. That way, if I’m ever stuck, I know what’s for dinner. This is a good hearty one pot meal, and one that’ll be fun to play around with. You start with making really, reaaaally good meatballs…

The Meatballs:

If you’ve been following along to the adventures of my kitchen, you’ll know I (ok, my husband, but whatever) recently NAILED the perfect meatball recipe. They have caramelized onion, Parmesan, fresh and dried herbs, breadcrumbs and an egg keeping them juicy and packed with flavor. We made a gigantic batch and froze part of them, and I’ve been dipping into my stash since. Sadly, this recipe used up the last of them- but that’s ok because it was DELISH.

The Sauce:

Whenever I make tomato sauce I usually just go off my typical formula. I like canned tomato sauce for smoothness and some diced tomatoes to give some chunky texture. These are added to garlic that’s been sauteed in olive oil, and you add your Italian herbs, salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity from the tomatoes. Simmer away and you’ve got yourself a great and super simple pasta base.

The Cheese:

You could honestly go a little crazy here. You can stir some ricotta in the tomato sauce. I would have loved to have some fresh Parmesan grated on top. Fresh buffalo mozzarella would also make a lovely stretchy chewy topping. I kept it simple with some normal shredded mozzarella layered into the dish, because that’s what I had on hand. You could even, if you must, make this without cheese.

So without further ado, please find the recipe below, and let me know any thoughts or questions in the comment section!

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

A hearty pasta dish made with penne or ziti, homemade tomato sauce and homemade meatballs and layers of gooey mozzarella cheese. Impossible not to like!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
Calories: 470kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 kg ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 heaped tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 pinch red chili flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce:

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz or 400 g)
  • 2 cans tomato sauce (14.5 oz or 400 g)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

For the Assembly:

  • 340 g penne or ziti pasta (whole wheat or regular) (12oz)
  • 1 small bag shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  •  Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the finely diced onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, When it starts to soften, add the garlic and continue to cook until golden brown and soft. Set aside to cool.
  • Heat oven to 220 C (425 F). Line baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, place all the ingredients (including the sauteed onion/garlic mixture). Knead with your hands (great time to use rubber gloves) until thoroughly combined. Roll into meatball sized balls and place each ball on the parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, stirring the meatballs around halfway through. You’ll bake until you cut into one and you see it’s cooked through and the outside is golden brown.

For the tomato sauce:

  • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat till hot. Add the garlic and saute 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, add the meatballs*, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350F)

To prepare the pasta:

  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Cook it just al dente as it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
  • After the meatball sauce mixture has simmered, add the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss to combine. Place half the mixture into a large casserole/baking dish and then sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Add the other half of the pasta mix, and top with remaining shredded mozzarella.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. Broil for 2-3 minutes to get the cheese golden brown if necessary.

Notes

*You probably won’t end up needing all the meatballs, so just dump enough in the sauce for your desired ration of meatball/sauce. Maybe 20 or so?
For a full version of the meatball recipe check out this post.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal
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Vegetarian Fesenjan

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A traditional comforting Irani stew, with warming spices and tangy pomegranate molasses, thickened with walnut meal. Typically made with chicken, this vegetarian fesenjan by Minimalist Baker is completely vegan, made with lentils instead. You won’t miss the meat! Super easy and lots of exotic flavors to push you out of your comfort zone. A curry or stew is the perfect way to explore vegan cuisine and still get a hearty and delicious meal.

What is fesenjan?

According to Thomasina Mier’s, who put it better than I ever could: “Richly sweet, subtly sour, with a satisfying depth of flavour from ground walnuts: fesenjan is a tempting Persian stew traditionally eaten during the winter solstice. ” Typically prepared with poultry- chicken or duck-but can also be made with lamb meatballs. Clearly, this recipe shows it can also be made without any meat at all. The spices and the flavor and thickness from the walnut meal and pomegranate carry more than enough weight to make up for any missing meat. The lentils are a great vehicle to carry all this flavor forwards.

Pomegranate Molasses- Explain.

Basically an intensely reduced pomegranate juice. It has a very distinctive tangy and lip smacking flavor. I love this! We especially use it a lot in Palestinian/Levantine cuisine. Where can you find it? In the Middle East, at any supermarket. In the US, at specialty Middle Eastern stores, or follow the instructions here to make your own with pomegranate juice

The Process:

You’ll toast walnuts by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a hot oven (180C or 350F) for 10 minutes or until light golden brown and fragrant. You let them cool, then process them into a meal. In a pan on the stovetop, you’ll sauté an onion with some salt and pepper, then pourin some vegetable broth, the lentils and cook the lentils until just tender. In goes some pomegranate molasses, spices, and maple syrup and the dish simmers for about 10 minutes or until thickened. So easy and hands off!

Vegan Fesenjan in a saucepan

Serve with:

Rice of choice, and garnish with some fresh pomegranate seeds for a beautiful color and juicy crunch. Top with some minced parsley and enjoy! This is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for up to a month.

Vegetarian Fesenjan

A vegan version using lentils of a traditional Iranian stew made with pomegranate molasses and ground walnuts. So rich in flavor and super healthy!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 435kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup toasted walnuts (Toast raw walnuts in a 180C (350F) oven for 10 minutes)
  • 3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses more or less to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup rinsed brown or green lentils
  • 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Jasmine rice or rice of choice or serving
  • Pomegranate seeds for topping
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Process the toasted walnuts once cooled in a food processor until a fine meal forms.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and once hot add the diced onion, the salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and cooked through.
  • Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer, then add the lentils. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Add more broth or water while cooking as needed to keep the lentils submerged.
  • Once lentils have just cooked through, add the walnut meal, pomegranate molasses, maple syrup, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes until thickened and fragrant.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper or additional spices or pomegranate molasses if needed. If too thick, you can add more vegetable broth or water.
  • Garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley and serve over rice.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker.
Keeps well covered tightly for 3-4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal
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