Hearty meatballs with sundried tomato sauce

Hearty meatballs with sundried tomato sauce

Meatballs are a staple in our house. I first started making beef meatballs based on the recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Naked Chef book 20 years ago, and have been doing versions of them ever since. They can be a bit of a faff, so I’ve refined the recipe to make them as quick as possible whilst still packing a flavour punch. For me, it’s the sundried tomatoes in the sauce which makes all the difference.

Preheat the oven to 180/350/gas 4.

First make the sauce which takes 30 minutes to cook. Heat the tablespoon of sundried tomato oil in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes, and then add the garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tin of tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, water, vegetable bouillon and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, place a lid on and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes or until it has thickened. Blitz to a smooth sauce with a hand blender, or leave to cool and blitz with a food processor.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well using your hands. Put a tablespoon of mince on to the palm of your hand and roll into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the meat.

Heat a tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides. You are looking for nice crisp sides so take care not to overcrowd the pan or else they will sweat instead. Once they are brown all over, place in a roasting tray and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and cook for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Serve with spaghetti and broccoli.

DOWNLOAD OR PRINT RECIPE HERE.