Meatballs

Meatballs are very popular in our house. They are inexpensive and really quick and easy to make. This is my take on an Italian style version, although I make no claim that they are in any way authentic. They can be done by hand but they are much easier in a food processor.

They go perfectly with my Simple Tomato sauce to go with pasta.

Ingredients

• 400g minced Beef (or Turkey for a lighter option)
• 75g breadcrumbs
• 2x cloves of garlic finely chopped
• Sprig of Rosemary
• 4-5 Sage leaves
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

• Add the garlic and herbs to the processor and pulse (alternatively finely chop them by hand).
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix on a low speed until the mixture starts to come together. This will ensure the meatballs don't fall apart. If you're not using a food processor you can do this by hand by massaging the meat with your hands till all the ingredients are well combined.

• Shape the meatballs to roughly golfball size rounds (using wet hands makes this easier)
• Fry gently in a preheated pan with a good glug of oil for around 10-15 minutes turning occasionally)

• At this stage the meatballs are ready to eat but I prefer to pour over the Pasta sauce and continue to cook together gently for a few minutes so the meatballs help to flavour the sauce and the sauce deglazes the pan (a fancy way of saying it will soak up all the flavour of the bits stuck on the bottom).
• Now it's all ready to serve

Results

The meatballs are soft and tender and have a delicious herby and meaty flavour that goes really well with a tangy, tomatoey pasta sauce.

This amount serves 3-4 people.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. If you liked this please share it with your friends.