Pork, Ricotta & Fennel Seed Meatballs with Tomato Cream Butter Beans

Lightly crush your fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, if you have one. Leave them whole if not. Now, combine the mince, ricotta, egg, breadcrumbs and fennel in a large bowl. Mix well, then finely grate in the pecorino and season generously with salt and pepper. Vigorously mix for a couple of minutes, until the mixture feels cohesive and a bit sticky.

Wet your hands and roll the mixture into balls about the size of ping-pong balls. Put the meatballs onto a plate and chill for 30 minutes to firm-up. If making ahead, cover and leave in the fridge until the next day.

Finely chop the garlic. Set a large frying pan over a medium heat, add enough oil to lightly coat the base, then fry the meatballs in a single layer in a large frying pan over a medium heat, in batches if needed, for 5-8 mins until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate, leaving the fat behind in the pan.

Add the garlic and sage to the pan, then cook over a medium heat for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tomato purée and a big pinch of chilli flakes, then stir in the beans and cream and season well. Heat the oven to 200°C.

Bring the pan to a simmer, then add the browned meatballs back to the pan with an optional splash of water to loosen just a little (no more than 80ml). Bring the pan back up to a simmer, put the lid on and transfer to the oven for 25-30 mins, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through. You can remove the lid and give the pan a flash under a hot grill to colour if you like, but this isn’t a necessity.

Remove from the oven and finish with extra grated pecorino, a splash more olive oil and a few extra chilli flakes, if you like.