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Meatballs in tomato and pea sauce

You can serve these meatballs in tomato and pea sauce with pasta, rice, baked potatoes or flatbread. The meatballs can be beef, pork, turkey, lamb or plant-based  -  you can use shop-bought, ready to cook versions, or your own home-made ones, or leftovers. The sweet tomato and pea sauce is vegan and gluten-free, so this dish is suitable for most diets.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 16 meatballs
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 celery stick
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
  • 6 ripe tomatoes
  • 500 ml beef stock
  • 2 cups green peas1 handful fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbsp mint leaves
  • Salt& pepper

Method
 

  1. Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan then gently sauté the chopped vegetables for about 8-10 minutes until they've softened.
  3. Add the tomato purée and marjoram, then stir for a minute.
  4. Chop the tomatoes and add to the vegetables. Stir for a minute.
  5. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
  6. Cook for 15 minutes, then add half of the peas and cook for 5 more minutes.
  7. Add the parsley and half of the mint. Using a hand-held blender, blend the stew until you get a thick, lightly textured sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the meatballs according to the packet instructions - you can fry, grill or bake them. It should take about 15-20 minutes.
  9. Add the remaining peas and the meatballs to the sauce and bring back to the boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then serve, garnished with mint leaves.