Meatballs in tomato sauce

Method

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Serve with wilted cabbage, polenta and parmesan shavings, if you like.