Meatballs with spiced tomato sauce recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

To make the meatballs, fry a third of the onion with 1 tbsp oil until soft but not coloured. Add half the garlic and the dried oregano and cook for a minute, then scoop into a bowl and allow to cool. Mix the sausage meat with the cooked onion, minced veal, chopped parsley, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Season well and shape into walnut-sized balls.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches adding more oil if necessary.

To make the sauce heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and cook the remaining onion until soft but not coloured. Add the rest of the garlic, the chilli and cumin and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato purée, tinned tomatoes and red wine and simmer for about 30 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the meatballs and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve with the tagliatelle and Parmesan.

Know-how The meatballs and sauce can be prepared in advance and then cooked together on the night.