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Beef meatballs in tomato sauce

Name: Beef meatballs in tomato sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 spring onions, finely chopped; 400g beef mince; 1 medium free-range egg; Handful plain flour, for dusting; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp tomato purée

Easy
February 2010

Easy
February 2010

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Takes 20 minutes to make, 40 minutes to cook, plus chilling

You can’t beat proper homemade meatballs cooked in a rich tomato sauce. This is our go-to recipe; it may look simple but it tastes incredible. It’s a perfect dinner party recipe for everyone to tuck in to.

Once you’ve mastered this simple recipe, try our Italian baked meatballs with garlic baguettes.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
400g beef mince
1 medium free-range egg
Handful plain flour, for dusting
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Put 1 tbsp of the oil into a pan, add the spring onion and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Put the beef mince and half the onion into a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg with a fork, then add to the meat and onion. Season and mix everything together with your hands – you can use a fork but it is more fun using your hands.
Divide the mixture evenly into 8 balls. Sprinkle the flour onto a plate, then roll each meatball in the flour. Chill for 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes without moving them. Using tongs, carefully turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes.
Mix the tomatoes, cumin and tomato purée and remaining spring onion together, then add to the pan. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked.