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Meatballs in tomato sauce

Name: Meatballs in tomato sauce
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 2 fresh rosemary sprigs; 500g pork mince (choose British free-range); 2 tbsp fennel seeds; Finely grated zest 1 lemon; 1 large free-range egg; 40g fresh breadcrumbs; 1 onion; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 3 x 400g tinned tomatoes (mix of chopped and whole); To serve; Polenta, steamed cabbage and parmesan shavings

Published: 31 Mar 15
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Discover our simple, comforting Italian recipe for pork mince meatballs in tomato sauce. Serve with polenta instead of the usual spaghetti.

Easy
February 2015

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min, oven time 35 min

Discover our simple, comforting Italian recipe for pork mince meatballs in tomato sauce. Serve with polenta instead of the usual spaghetti.

Dairy-free recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 404kcals
Fat: 24.1g (6.6g saturated)
Protein: 33.4g
Carbohydrates: 18.4g (10.1g sugars)
Fibre: 3.7g
Salt: 0.9g

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Ingredients

2 fresh rosemary sprigs
500g pork mince (choose British free-range)
2 tbsp fennel seeds
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 large free-range egg
40g fresh breadcrumbs
1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 x 400g tinned tomatoes (mix of chopped and whole)

To serve

Polenta, steamed cabbage and parmesan shavings

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Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/ fan160°C/gas 4. Finely chop the rosemary and put in a large bowl. Add the mince, fennel seeds, zest, egg, breadcrumbs, and some salt and pepper. Mix well, then roll into 12 equal balls and chill.
Finely chop the onion. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof pan with a lid, then gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Bubble for 10 minutes, stirring often.
In a large frying pan, brown the meatballs in the rest of the oil, then add to the sauce. Cover and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, then bake for 15 minutes more or until the sauce is thick.