
A vibrant Middle Eastern-inspired traybake featuring juicy lamb meatballs, sweet roasted apricots, and nutty fregula pasta. This aromatic one-pot meal is perfectly balanced with the heat of rose harissa and the warmth of ras el hanout.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas 4). Arrange the halved apricots cut-side down on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes until they begin to soften. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, shallow flameproof casserole dish over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt, cooking for about 15 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Stir in the sliced garlic and ras el hanout, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, and rose harissa, cooking for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, stir well, and remove from the heat.
Prepare the meatballs by combining the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, chilli flakes, ground coriander, cinnamon, egg yolk, and most of the chopped parsley in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hands for about 5 minutes to ensure a tender texture. Shape the mixture into 10 even meatballs. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown on all sides.
Stir the fregula into the tomato sauce in the casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the browned meatballs and roasted apricots into the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stovetop, then transfer the dish to the oven. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and the fregula is tender. Scatter the remaining parsley over the top before serving.
If you cannot find fregula, giant couscous or orzo pasta make excellent substitutes. For the best texture, ensure you mix the meatball ingredients for the full 5 minutes; this helps the proteins bind so the meatballs don't fall apart during frying.




