Quick and simple to make, pork and pancetta meatballs and tomato sauce. Perfect to freeze and store over the Christmas period – just add to your favourite pasta when guests arrive.
Ingredients
- 500g (1b) lean minced pork
- 80g pack cubed pancetta, roughly chopped
- 30g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp dried sage or dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- Tagliatelle or fettucine, to serve
Method
Put the pork, pancetta, Parmesan, herbs, seasoning and egg in a large bowl and use your hand to mix it together well.
Shape the mixture into 24 balls (use a tbsp measuring spoon as a guide to how much mixture per ball). Put them on a tray lined with Bakewell paper and chill them until firmed up — about an hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Warm the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of mins. Pour in the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 mins. Add the ketchup and season.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the meatballs in one layer and leave for 5 mins to brown on one side, then turn them to cook on the other side for another 5 mins.
Top tip for making Pork and pancetta meatballs
The meatballs are just astasty made from mincedbeef or chicken
