Tomato Mascarpone Meatballs

• 500 gpork mince
• 250 mlchicken stock
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 800 gchopped tomatoes
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 30 gparmesan, grated
• 300 gorecchiette
• 125 gmascarpone
• 15 gbasil, torn
• 1carrot, coarsely grated

Method

1. 1Tip the pork mince, parmesan and oregano into a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Squash everything together with your hands until evenly combined and slightly tacky, then divide into 12 equal meatballs, about 45g each.
2. 2Use your widest deep pan: add the olive oil and bring it to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches for 6–8 minutes per batch, turning carefully. Leave space around each meatball so it browns rather than steams. Lift onto a plate, leaving the brown stuck bits in the pan.
3. 3Drop the onion and grated carrot into the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and starting to catch gold at the edges. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and the purée has darkened slightly.
4. 4Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the chicken stock. Scrape up any fond from the base of the pan, season, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. 5Tip in the orecchiette and return the meatballs along with any resting juices. Cover and simmer for 12–14 minutes, stirring once or twice so the pasta does not catch. Add a splash of water if the sauce dries before the pasta is tender. Check a meatball is steaming hot through the centre with no pink meat remaining, and cook a little longer if needed. The pasta starch thickens the sauce as it cooks.
6. 6Stir in the mascarpone off the heat until the sauce turns soft, rosy and glossy and clings to every ridge of the pasta.
7. 7Scatter over the torn basil and take the pan straight to the table while the sauce is glossy.

Per serving

kcal

869

protein

39.6g

fibre

6.8g

carbs

75.8g

fat

44.5g