Everyone loves meatballs. They’re just so meaty and ball like. Often they come with awesome sauce as well. In Melbourne at least, there are whole establishments dedicated to this ball phenomenon. For example, Meatball and Wine Bar, Meatball and Sons, and then there’s me.
You don’t need to be a thick rimmed glasses wearing hipster hanging in a part Scandinavian, part industrial fitted warehouse to enjoy this new sensation. In fact, you might not believe this, but meatballs existed before modern foodies thought they were cool.
The meatballs I am going to share with you today are a healthy take on two of the worlds best food friends. Pork and fennel. I actually try to broaden their social circle by networking them with both veal and sage. The result is a double date that you wish you were also on. Oh, and instead of sore tummy inducing pasta, they hang out on zoodles. Yay!
Pork and veal meatballs double date with sage and fennel
Serves 2-4
Approx 40 minutes cooking and prep
For the balls:
500 grams mixed pork and veal mince (250 grams of each)
1 teaspoon dried fennel
4-5 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped
1 organic free range egg
1 tablespoon spelt flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oil
For the sauce:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
400 grams canned tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tomato paste (try get 100% aka no salt added)
Salt and pepper to taste
For the zoodles:
1-2 zucchini, Julianned into zoodles
Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
1. Combine all the ball ingredients except for the oil in a bowl. Mix thoroughly then form into balls.
2. On a medium flame, heat oil in a cast iron (or oven proof pan), and brown the balls. Set them aside.
3. Using the same pan, without washing, add in the onion and sauté until clear without browning, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, diced tomatoes and maple syrup and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir through the tomato paste and season, cook for another minute or so.
6. Add the balls back in and gentle cover the balls in sauce.
Place into oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Serve on top of the zoodles with plenty of greens on the side. If you think it is also a good idea to shave fresh parmesan on top, I would also concede that this is the best idea you’ve had all day. You’re actually real smart.
