Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Recipe ⬇️ or print:
I love recipes like this – everyday ingredients used in a different way to make something new and interesting! Soft Moroccan-spiced lamb meatballs are baked in a striking spiral arrangement with zucchini and capsicum in a bubbly garlicky tomato sauce. Serve straight from the pan with flatbreads or couscous.
Inspired by Özlem Warren’s Baked Aubergine Kebab with Meatballs from Özlem’s Turkish Table, except I use zucchinis instead of eggplant (aubergines) cause it's hard to find the right shape/size eggplants (Asian ones are too thin) and I used Moroccan spices instead of Turkish (couldn't find Aleppo peppers and didn't want to get in trouble with the Turkish community!!❤️) - N x
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Moroccan Spiral Meatball Zucchini Bake
MEATBALLS:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub regular breadcrumbs)
1/2 onion, grated with a standard box grater
500 g lamb mince (ground lamb), or beef
1 egg
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
MOROCCAN SPICE MIX:
1 tsp EACH cumin, coriander, paprika (regular/sweet)
1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cayenne (or black pepper)
3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
VEG - toss:
2 fat zucchinis (5cm/2″ wide, 22cm/9” long is a nice goal), cut into ~20 x 1 cm / 0.4″ thick rounds
1 large or 1 1/2 regular red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into ~20 large-ish chunks 5 x 2.5 cm / 1 x 2″
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling to bake
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
GARLIC TOMATO SAUCE - mix:
2 garlic cloves, crushed using garlic press
2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup warm tap water
1/8 tsp each salt and pepper
SERVING:
Yogurt thinned with a little water so it’s drizzle-able
Basmati or other rice, flatbreads, bread, pita pockets for stuffing, couscous
1. Toss the grated onion with panko, then add remaining meatball ingredients. Form 16 squished meatballs, a bit wider than your zucchini rounds (the meatballs will shrink slightly).
2. Stand upright in a 26cm/10.5” round pan*, arrange loosely so you can tuck a capsicum piece in between (avoid covering meatballs so they get browned). Pour sauce over everything, drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Bake 35 min at 200°C/375°F (180°C fan), serve out of the pan with the tasty sauce, with flatbreads or couscous, rice, mash etc. Works with everything!
* I use my cast iron skillet, could you baking pan, pie dish, doesn’t even have to be round, could use a rectangle pan and arrange in lines
Recipe ⬇️ or print:
I love recipes like this – everyday ingredients used in a different way to make something new and interesting! Soft Moroccan-spiced lamb meatballs are baked in a striking spiral arrangement with zucchini and capsicum in a bubbly garlicky tomato sauce. Serve straight from the pan with flatbreads or couscous.
Inspired by Özlem Warren’s Baked Aubergine Kebab with Meatballs from Özlem’s Turkish Table, except I use zucchinis instead of eggplant (aubergines) cause it's hard to find the right shape/size eggplants (Asian ones are too thin) and I used Moroccan spices instead of Turkish (couldn't find Aleppo peppers and didn't want to get in trouble with the Turkish community!!❤️) - N x
––––––––––-
Moroccan Spiral Meatball Zucchini Bake
MEATBALLS:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub regular breadcrumbs)
1/2 onion, grated with a standard box grater
500 g lamb mince (ground lamb), or beef
1 egg
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
MOROCCAN SPICE MIX:
1 tsp EACH cumin, coriander, paprika (regular/sweet)
1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cayenne (or black pepper)
3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
VEG - toss:
2 fat zucchinis (5cm/2″ wide, 22cm/9” long is a nice goal), cut into ~20 x 1 cm / 0.4″ thick rounds
1 large or 1 1/2 regular red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into ~20 large-ish chunks 5 x 2.5 cm / 1 x 2″
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling to bake
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
GARLIC TOMATO SAUCE - mix:
2 garlic cloves, crushed using garlic press
2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup warm tap water
1/8 tsp each salt and pepper
SERVING:
Yogurt thinned with a little water so it’s drizzle-able
Basmati or other rice, flatbreads, bread, pita pockets for stuffing, couscous
1. Toss the grated onion with panko, then add remaining meatball ingredients. Form 16 squished meatballs, a bit wider than your zucchini rounds (the meatballs will shrink slightly).
2. Stand upright in a 26cm/10.5” round pan*, arrange loosely so you can tuck a capsicum piece in between (avoid covering meatballs so they get browned). Pour sauce over everything, drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Bake 35 min at 200°C/375°F (180°C fan), serve out of the pan with the tasty sauce, with flatbreads or couscous, rice, mash etc. Works with everything!
* I use my cast iron skillet, could you baking pan, pie dish, doesn’t even have to be round, could use a rectangle pan and arrange in lines
