Mmmmm! Meatballs!

This recipe has become a firm family favourite so I thought I'd share it. I've adapted it slightly from a recipe we use at work for Italian Meatballs. You'll have to excuse the photography, my eldest did her best to take pictures for me as my hands were somewhat messy! (I think she actually did quite well)
The recipe uses a mixture of pork and beef mince. You can either buy lean steak mince and pork mince separately and combine them or buy a ready combined beef & pork mince, which often works out cheaper.

Ingredients
Approx 500g pork and beef mince
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Tomato puree
Garlic puree
Ground Coriander
Grated hard Italian cheese (such as parmesan)
Carton of Passata
1 clove of Garlic
Fresh Basil
Balsamic vinegar
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
Vegetable stock cube
Pasta to serve

Finely chop half the red pepper, half the green pepper and half the onion (or whizz in the food processor if short on time)

Put into a bowl with the mince, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp of garlic puree, half a tube of tomato puree and about 2-3 tbsp cheese. The puree & the cheese will bind the meatballs. Mix with your hands to combine all the ingredients.

Mix well, a great job for the kids!

Roll into ping pong ball sized meatballs

Cook in batches in a large frying pan. If it's a non stick one you'll barely need any oil at all, as a little will come out of the meatballs.

Cook in batches

Brown on all sides

While the first batch are cooking or while your minion's children are rolling the meat balls, make a very quick tomato sauce. Into the food processor or blender put the carton of passata, the other half of the onion, red and green pepper, the carrot & celery cut into chunks, the stock cube, a good splash of balsamic vinegar, a handful of fresh basil and the clove of garlic. Whizz until you get a smooth-ish sauce. Pour into a large saucepan and put on a medium heat.

Once the meatballs are browned on all sides place them into the pan with the sauce and turn the heat down a little. Cook the next batch and place into the sauce.

Once they're all cooked and placed in the sauce leave to simmer.

Cook your pasta. You can use any type of pasta you like. I prefer spaghetti. But even though I'm convinced it was on my shopping list and made it's way into the trolley, I could NOT find it in the cupboard! Hmm???
So we had fusilli instead. By the time your pasta is cooked the meatballs will be too. You might like to give the meatball pan a little shake during cooking, but don't be tempted to stir, as this can result in broken meat balls.(not good!)

Serve the meatballs with the pasta of your choice & enjoy.

Don't forget the cheese!

This recipe easily feeds 2 adults and 3 children very generously and I think I can safely say it would feed 4 adults easily too. I hope you enjoy them.