Baked marrow amatriciana

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Marrow has a mild flavour, so pep it up with a punchy Italian tomato sauce with bacon, chilli and thyme

Prep:15 mins
Cook:1 hrs 15 mins

Serves 3
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 474
fat 32g
saturates 13g
carbs 18g
sugars 16g
fibre 4g
protein 22g
salt 2.2g

Ingredients

1 marrow, cut into 6cm thick slices
125g ball mozzarella, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
125g pack pancetta cubetti
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
large sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
sprinkle golden caster sugar
2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
large glass red wine
pinch dried chilli flakes

Method

For the sauce, heat half the oil in a pan and sizzle the pancetta for 5 mins, until just starting to crisp. Then add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay and sugar, and cook until the onions are golden. Splash in the vinegar, sizzle for a moment then tip in the tomatoes. Swoosh the wine around the tomato tins to wash out every last bit and tip into the sauce. Season with chilli and a pinch of salt and simmer for 30 mins until rich and thick.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scoop out the middle of the marrow, leaving a little in the bottom to form a base. Drizzle a baking dish with a little oil, arrange the marrow in the dish and roast for 30 mins.
Spoon the sauce into the middle of each marrow slice, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil, scatter over the mozzarella and return to the oven for 10 mins until the cheese has melted and the marrow is tender.