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Meatballs with asparagus

For a quick and easy version, you could use ready-cooked or  jarred tomato based pasta sauce for these meatballs with asparagus. Serve it with pasta, bulgur wheat, rice or bread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 16-20 ready-to cook meatballs beef or pork
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • For the tomato sauce:
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery stick
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 300 ml water
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 handful of fresh basil parsley or coriander

Method
 

  1. First make the soffritto, by finely chopping the celery, onion, garlic and carrot, then sweating these in olive oil for 10-15 minutes, until very soft. Add the oregano, salt & pepper and tomatoes, then pour in the water using the tin, add the stock cube and cook for another 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile fry, air-fry or grill the meatballs. If you’re serving the meatballs with pasta, cook some according to the packet instructions. Put the meatballs on a plate, lined with paper kitchen towel. Drain the pasta and keep warm.
  3. When the tomato sauce is nice and thick, add a spoonful of balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs of your choice.
  4. Using a hand-held blender, purée the tomato stew until it becomes a creamy sauce. If it’s too thick, add some water or stock.
  5. Cut the asparagus into 3 cm pieces and add to the sauce.
  6. Add the meatballs and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the asparagus is tender.
  7. Serve warm with the pasta (or rice, bread bulgur wheat etc)