Don’t be put off by the addition of black pudding in these beef-based meatballs. They are fantastic.
For the tomato sauce:
2 tbs. olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. sea salt flakes
For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. black pudding
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tbs. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
2 tsp. sea salt flakes
very good grinding of black pepper
2 tbs. old-fashioned oats
2 eggs
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a heavy pan with a lid. Cook the onions slowly until softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley and thyme, then tip in the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Fill the tomato can 1/2 full with water, swish it around and add to the pan. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
For the meatballs, crumble the beef and black pudding into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and, using your hands, gently mix everything together. Roll out walnut-sized meatballs and set aside.
When ready to cook, drop the meatballs in the sauce in concentric circles. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer 15 minutes more. Check the sauce for seasoning and serve.
Serves 4-6
Cooking with Nigella 