Bocconcini Stuffed Meatballs with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Now I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a Rachael Ray recipe from her newest cookbook "look+cook". I made this a few weeks ago for my boyfriend as a change to the regular spaghetti and meatballs... It's a great change up and tasted fabulous!!

Serves 4 yet we still managed to have lots of leftovers which were just as delicious!

Ingredients

4 slices of stale white or farmhouse style bread, town into pieces
Milk, to moisten the bread 
2½ pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix (I used 1 pound beef and half a pound of pork and veal)
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 egg
Salt & Pepper 
16 bocconcini cheese (mini or cocktail size)
2 TBSP of olive oil, plus about ¼ cup
1 (28 ounce) can of plum tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1 TSP grated lemon zest
¼ cup vegetable or chicken stock 

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the torn bread in a small bowl, cover with milk, and soak for a few minutes. To a mixing bowl add the ground meats, 2 of the grated or minced garlic cloves, the chopped parsley, a handful of grated cheese, the egg, and salt and pepper. Squeeze the liquid out of the soaked bread and crumble it as you add it to the bowl. Mix to combine. Take a handful of meatball mix in your palm and flatten it, nestle a mozzarella bite into the center and roll the meat around it, making 16 meatballs total, each about 2 to 3 ounces. Transfer the stuffed meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet as you roll them. Coat the balls with about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and roast for 18 to 20 minutes until they are firm and brown.

About 10 minutes before the meatballs are done, pour the canned tomatoes into a small skillet and mash them with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium to medium-high heat to thicken them a bit.

Pile the basil, lemon zest, ½ cup parsley leaves, stock, the remaining grated or minced garlic and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor on, stream in about ¼ cup of olive oil until a thick paste forms.

When ready to serve, fold the pesto in the thickened tomatoes. Ladle the sauce into a shallow bowls and top with meatballs and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. I served this dish on a bed of pasta and it was delish!