Inspiring vegetarian recipes
Try our vibrant veggie dishes, from meat-free lasagne to vegetable curry and vegetarian chilli
Meatballs with tomato and green olive sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Easy
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g lean pork mince
- 1 small red onion, grated or very finely chopped
- a pinch (optional) dried chilli flakes
- ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
- grated to make 4 tbsp parmesan
TOMATO AND OLIVE SAUCE
- olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 × 400g tins plum tomatoes
- 4 cloves
- 12 green olives, pitted and quartered
- a small bunch basil, shredded
- 300g tagliatelle
- a knob butter
Method
- STEP 1
To make the sauce heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic and sizzle gently for a couple of minutes. Tip in the tomatoes and cloves, then simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened a little, squashing down the tomatoes as you cook.
- STEP 2
Meanwhile, to make the meatballs, put the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, season and mix well with your hands. Form into walnut-sized balls (you’ll get about 20).
- STEP 3
Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown the meatballs all over – do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- STEP 4
Scoop the cloves out of the tomato sauce, then add the meatballs and olives. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in the basil to finish. Serve with buttered tagliatelle.
