A recipe from Thomasina Miers
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
- 3 x 400 g cans plum tomatoes drained
- 2 bay leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp capers rinsed of brine or salt
- 1-2 pinches brown sugar optional
For the meatballs
- 600 g minced pork
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
- 1 leaves small sprig fresh rosemary picked and finely chopped
- 60 g fresh breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 heaped tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 70 g grated Parmesan
Servings:
Instructions
- First make the Tomato Sauce, Warm the oil in a deep pan on a medium-low heat, then gently fry the garlic just until it begins to colour at the edges. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, then stir in the bay leaves, season generously and leave to simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Half an hour into the cooking, add the capers and taste the sauce – add a pinch or two of brown sugar, if you think it needs it, and a few tablespoons of water if the sauce looks too thick and dry. By the end, it should be thick and silky.
- While the sauce is cooking, get on with the meatballs. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil and half the Parmesan, season generously, then mix with your hands until well amalgamated. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, then saute a teaspoon of the mix until cooked and check it’s seasoned sufficiently.
- Shape the remaining meatball mix into eight balls then, if you have time, refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes, to firm up.Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Pour the remaining oil into the frying pan, heat over a medium-high flame, then lightly brown the meatballs on all sides.
- Transfer to a baking dish just large enough to hold them, pour on the sauce and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch.
- Serve with wide pasta ribbons, perhaps with a rocket and parmesan salad on the side, dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Or, for a real treat, eat the meatballs on toast.
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