Mini Beef Meatballs with Broccolini and Pasta

Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes | Serves: 4

These tasty meatballs taste fantastic with beef or lamb mince. Serve with small pasta shapes that match the size of the meatballs. This simple recipe is fantastic for kids and adults alike.

Ingredients

• 600 g beef or lamb mince
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs
• 3 tsp grated lemon rind
• 400 g dried pasta (shells or farfalle)
• 2 bunch broccolini cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 20 cherry tomatoes

Method

1. Place the beef or lamb mince, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs and lemon rind and a little pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to bring the mixture together and knead until combined.
2. Shape small spoonfuls of mixture into small meatballs (use about 2 teaspoons of mixture for each one). Lightly brush or spray meatballs with a little oil.
3. Heat a non-stick fry pan over moderately-high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches over a medium-high heat, until golden and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Allow the pan to reheat between batches.
4. Cook the pasta, adding the broccolini in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and return to the saucepan with the olive oil, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes and meatballs. Gently mix and then serve.

Tips

• You can substitute the broccolini with any green vegetable
• Meatballs and burgers should always be thoroughly cooked

Enjoy!