Herby Italian Meat Balls with Primavera Sauce
Serves:This basic meatball mixture is perfect for spaghetti and meatballs, and primavera is simply a pasta sauce with veg in it.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500g beef mince
- ½ an onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 slices bread made into crumbs
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 600 ml approx passata – pureed tomato
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 courgette, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 capsicum deseeded and chopped
- pinch dried oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar – or to your taste
- A couple of handfuls of fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to season
- Dried pasta for 4-6 people cooked according to manufacturer’s instructions
Method
In a frying pan heat the oil and add the garlic, onion, garlic, courgette, celery and capsicum. Cook gently until the vegetables are tender. While the vegetables are cooking assemble the meatballs.
Combine the meatball ingredients (I do this in the food processor) and roll into balls using wet hands. Brown the meatballs in a little oil in a frying pan or oven bake till browned.
When the vegetables are tender add the passata, tomato paste, sugar and oregano to the pan and simmer gently. When the meatballs are brown add them to the sauce and simmer if needed till cooked through.
Serve with cooked pasta, I prefer spaghetti but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand.
Tips
Primavera sauce freezes well, make double and freeze half. Freeze left over passata to use on a pizza base or enrich a casserole.