Easy Meatballs in a Rustic Tomato Sauce Recipe

Instructions

1. Heat one tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a heavy stainless-steel saucepan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat for four minutes, until soft and a little golden. Allow to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix the minced beef & minced pork with the cold sweated onion and garlic. Add the chopped basil, pesto, chilli flakes, egg yolk and breadcrumbs. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the mixture into 8 round balls. Cover the meatballs and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
4. Once the balls have firmed up, heat a frying pan with the oil and fry the meatballs for 5 minutes until golden (do not fully cook). Remove onto a plate and reserve.
5. To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the sliced onion, chopped carrot, celery and the crushed garlic, toss until coated, cover, and sweat on a gentle heat until soft.
6. Add the red wine, balsamic vinegar and sugar, and reduce to a sizzle.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, pesto, chopped sundried tomatoes, tomato puree and chicken stock.
8. Bring the sauce up to the boil and add the reserved meatballs along with any resting juices. Simmer the sauce covered with a lid for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and continue to simmer without the lid for five minutes (this will enable the sauce to reduce and thicken up).
9. If serving with spaghetti, this would be a good time to cook it.
10. To serve, remove the balls with a slotted spoon onto the plate, add half the chopped basil to the sauce and season to taste (if the sauce is a little thick add some water to achieve the desired consistency).
11. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, sprinkle over the remaining basil and serve.