Gently Spiced Pork Meatballs

The trick to perfect meatballs is to roast them in the oven before adding the meatballs to the sauce. This is not only a way to render off the fat you sometimes find in the cheaper cuts of meat, but the browning process in the oven adds extra flavour. It’s easy to see why this meal is a hit with my family.

[recipe title=”Gently Spiced Pork Meatballs” servings=”4-6″ time=”1 hour 30 minutes” difficulty=”easy”]

Ingredients

• 500g pork mince
• 1 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and turmeric
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 carton passata
• 1 pinch of sugar
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• 100g frozen sweetcorn
• 500g Pasta

Method

Preheat a fan-assisted oven to 180 degrees Celsius, or a regular oven to 200 degrees.

Put the pork mince, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and turmeric into a large bowl and mix together until combined. Spoon the mixture into meatballs and place into a roasting dish. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes (this gives a lovely flavour to the meatballs).

In the meantime, put a large saucepan on a medium heat. Pour in the olive oil, then add the onion and cook until it begins to turn pale and soften. Add the minced garlic and stir well. Pour in the passata, add a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, then allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Cover and leave simmering while the meatballs continue to cook.

Once the meatballs have cooked, carefully spoon them into the sauce that is still bubbling. Pour in the frozen sweetcorn and stir.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, serve the pasta and meatballs. [/recipe]

This is one of my kids’ favourite dinners!

Disclosure: This recipe was originally developed for Tesco Ireland in May 2016 for use in their online and print communications.