Meatball fettuccine and minestrone - delicious family-friendly recipes to beat the winter blues

Two delicious meatball recipes the whole family will love

Courtney Roulston makes two delicious meatball recipes the whole family will love: a classic pasta and a hearty soup to warm the belly this winter.

Meatball fettuccini in fennel tomato sauce

Serves 4

Prep time 5 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 400g packet beef and pork meatballs
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 700g jar Leggo’s Passata - Rustic
• 400g fettuccine

Tip: Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick frypan over medium heat and cook meatballs until browned on all sides, approximately 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Add remaining oil to same frypan, cook onion and fennel seeds for 3 minutes until fragrant and onion is softened.
3. Return meatballs to frypan and stir through Leggo’s Passata. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta following packet directions. Drain and stir into meatball mixture. Serve

Meatball minestrone soup

Serves 6

Prep time 10 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 400g Beef & Pork meatballs
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 700g jar Leggo’s Rustic Passata sauce
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 100g fettuccine, broken into 3cm lengths (or use any shaped pasta you like)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 1 can white beans, drained
• 3 cups leafy greens (Cavolo nero, Silverbeet, spinach, kale ect)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ lemon to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large pot and cook the meatballs for 2-3 minutes each side, or until browned. Remove the meatballs form the pan and set aside.
2. Keep the pot on a medium heat then cook the onion for 2 minutes. Add in the fennel seeds and stir for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3. Pour in the passata sauce, pasta and chicken stock then bring up to a simmer. Add in the zucchini, salt, pepper and white beans and allow to come back up to a simmer.
4. Return the meatballs to the pot along with the greens and gently simmer for 2 minutes to wilt the greens. Place into serving bowls then grate over some lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, cracked pepper and Parmesan cheese before serving.