Baked Kangaroo Meatballs with Spaghetti

Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced. Finely chop onion, crush garlic and pick thyme leaves from their stems. Place ¼ of the onion, ½ the garlic and ½ tablespoon thyme leaves in a bowl with kangaroo mince. Separate egg (save eggwhite for another use) and add yolk to the mince with ½ the parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper and roll into 10 meatballs.

Arrange meatballs in a single layer on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle evenly with 20ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned.

While meatballs are baking, add remaining olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining onion, garlic and thyme and cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Dissolve stock cube in 250ml (1 cup) hot water and add to pan with tomatoes. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes, crushing tomatoes against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon, or until slightly thickened and reduced.

Pour tomato sauce over meatballs and turn meatballs in sauce to coat well. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water for 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and return pasta to pan, reserving 60ml (¼ cup) pasta cooking water.

Coarsely grate zucchini, add to pasta and toss until wilted. Add meatballs and sauce to pasta and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water, if necessary, and stir to coat pasta in sauce and disperse meatballs. Divide between bowls and top with remaining parmesan to serve.