Pork and Onion Meat Balls With Tasty Tomato Sauce Recipe

Pork and Onion Meat Balls With Sun dried Tomato Sauce Recipe
Photo © British Onions
  • 40 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 Portions (4 Servings)
Ratings (22)

By Elaine Lemm

Updated 07/12/18

For a delicious midweek supper, try this lovely, quick and so, so easy recipe for making tasty pork and onion meat balls. As if they aren't delicious enough on their own,  the meatballs are served here with a delectable sun-dried tomato sauce. Perfect on pasta and as here, with freshly cooked linguine pasta.

This dish makes a great lunch or can be served as a main course at dinner. Children love meatballs and this sauce is gentle enough even for them. You can ring the changes a little with this recipe by adding different herbs (basil is a good one) but use them sparingly, you do not want to overwhelm the meatballs with them. Or, for a change this tomato sauce.

What You'll Need

  • 1 lb. 2 oz. good quality minced pork
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 25 (1 oz.) fresh or dried bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Ingredients for the Sun-dried tomato sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 14 oz. tins of tomatoes
  • 8 sun-dried tomatoes, finely sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 glass red wine
  • 1 handful parsley, roughly chopped
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper

How to Make It

Making the Meatballs

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together in a bowl except for the olive oil. Mix thoroughly to ensure everything is well combined. Once the mixture is worked together shape into 16 evenly-sized small balls. You will find this easier to do if you keep your hands damp with a little cold water. Try to make the meatballs as even as possible as this helps with the cooking.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, fry the meatballs until browned, turning frequently to ensure they are evenly browned. Remove the meatballs from the heat, cover and leave to one side.

Making the Sauce

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large pan to hot but not burning. Add the onions and cook gently for 7 minutes taking care not to burn. Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes until both the garlic and the onions are translucent.

Add the tinned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, wine, parsley, salt and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat to simmer and add the meatballs. Cook for another 20 minutes. Serve the meatballs with linguine, a good grating of fresh Parmesan and a green salad

To cook linguine - follow the instructions on the packet or even try the linguine with a different sauce.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 631
Total Fat 28 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Unsaturated Fat 15 g
Cholesterol 151 mg
Sodium 180 mg
Carbohydrates 45 g
Dietary Fiber 8 g
Protein 41 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)