
One Pan Beans
Claire Thomson
Quadrille, £20
Photography (c) Sam Folan
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For the meatballs, in a large bowl mix the minced beef, ricotta, lentils, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese and sage and season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Knead the mixture for five minutes until it just begins to feel cohesive and a bit sticky. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, although a couple of hours is good.
Wet your hands and roll the meatball mixture into little balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Put the balls on a plate in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes or more.
In a large frying pan over a moderate heat, fry the meatballs in a film of olive oil in a single layer, in batches if needed, for five to eight minutes until browned, then place on a plate to the side.
In the same pan, add the two tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic and sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
Add the passata and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the tomato sauce has thickened. Stir through the lentils and chilli flakes (if using) and check the seasoning.
Add the meatballs to the top of the sauce to gently warm through, then serve the meatballs topped with a grating of parmesan and a few more chilli flakes (if using).
Quadrille, £20
Photography (c) Sam Folan