for 4 person

Meatballs

4 tbsp	pine nuts
1 tbsp	aniseed, finely crushed
1	onion, finely chopped
2	garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 g	minced meat (beef and pork)
2 tbsp	breadcrumbs
100 g	ricotta
3 tbsp	flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1	fresh egg, beaten
1 ¼ tsp	salt
1 tsp	hot paprika
	olive oil for frying

Sauce

½ tbsp	olive oil
½	onion, finely chopped
1 tin	chopped tomatoes (approx. 800 g)
1 tbsp	tomato puree
1 tbsp	dried Italian herbs
2 pinch	sugar
1 tsp	salt
a little	pepper

How it's done

Meatballs

Toast the pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until light brown. Add the aniseed, toast briefly. Add the onion and garlic and sauté briefly. Allow everything to cool in a bowl. Place the mince and all the other ingredients up to and including the paprika in the bowl. Knead well until the ingredients form a compact mass that no longer sticks to your hands, cover and chill for approx. 15 mins. With wet hands, shape the meat mixture into approx. 16 balls. Heat the olive oil in the same pan. Fry the meatballs in batches over a medium heat for approx. 10 mins. all over.

Sauce

Heat the oil and sauté the onions. Add the tomatoes and all the other ingredients, simmer uncovered for approx. 30 mins., season. Serve the tomato sauce with the meatballs.

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