By
Jane Curran
published
For a super quick and tasty week night meal that both the adults and the kids will love, try this delicious Italian mince recipe. The chilli provides a lovely warmth, but you can cut it out if you are cooking this pasta dish for young ones. It also makes a great no fuss dinner party recipe too if you want something simple.
HOW TO MAKE PUTTANESCA MEATBALLS
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4-5 anchovies, drained
- 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1tsp chilli flakes
- 1 ½tbsp tomato puree
- handful of black pitted olives, drained
- 3tbsp capers, drained
- small handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
For the meatballs:
- 1kg beef steak mince
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2tsp dried oregano
- 1-2tbsp seasoned flour, to coat
Method
- For the sauce, heat half the olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the anchovies and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Tip in the chopped tomatoes, stir in the caster sugar, chilli flakes and tomato puree then simmer until starting to thicken.
- For the meatballs, mix the mince with the shallots, egg and oregano, season well. Bring the mince together with your hands then shape into golf ball-sized meatballs and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium high heat. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour then brown in batches.
- Add to the sauce, along with the olives and capers and cook on a low heat until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Stir in the herbs and serve with pappardelle or crusty bread and freshly grated Parmesan.
