The ultimate comfort food: sweet red pepper mixed into these meatballs add depth of flavour and parsnip mash is a great twist on your usual spuds

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 5 minutes
    •    Cook time: 30 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

    •    1 tsp olive oil
    •    140g passata
    •    1 egg, beaten
    •    1 tsp oregano
    •    ¼ tsp cinnamon
    •    250g lean pork mince
    •    1 tsp smoked paprika
    •    1 red pepper, chopped
    •    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    •    3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
    •    1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
    •    1 wholemeal pitta bread, torn into pieces

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. In the small bowl of a food processor, put the cinnamon, half the paprika, the pepper, 1 garlic clove, the oregano and torn pitta. Blitz until very finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl and add the mince and the egg, and season well. Rub 1 tsp of the oil over a large baking sheet. Squish the pork and pepper mixture together with your hands, shape into 8 meatballs and place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
   
   
2. Bake the meatballs for 20 mins or until cooked through and lightly golden. Meanwhile, cook the parsnips in a pan of boiling water over a high heat for 15 mins, then drain and mash with some seasoning, keeping warm until needed.
   
   
3. For a quick tomato sauce, put the remaining crushed garlic and paprika in a small saucepan with the passata and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, until thickened a little. To serve, divide the parsnip mash between the plates, tip the meatballs into the pan with the sauce and stir to coat them, then pile everything on top of the mash. Scatter over the parsley and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve immediately.

This great family recipe is thanks to BBC Goodfood Recipes at https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pork-pepper-meatballs-parsnip-mash