Name: Meatballs with tomato and green olive sauce
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 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; 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

Easy Meatball Recipe With Tomato and Green Olive

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.