Meatballs in tomato sauce

Serves 4-6 Starters and mains

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Method

Put the bread in a bowl, pour in the milk and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the Mortadella, garlic, beef, pork and veal, if using, in a large bowl.

Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture, along with the lemon zest, nutmeg, cheese and beaten egg mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well using your hands. Set aside to rest while you make the sauce.

Peel the tomatoes by scoring a cross on the bottom of each one, putting in a heatproof bowl and covering with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of cold water and remove the skins by peeling away from the cross. Cut the tomatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then roughly chop the flesh.

Put the chopped tomatoes in a pan, add the shallots, olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix together. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a hand-held stick blender to blitz the sauce until smooth. Return to the heat and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, using wet hands, shape the meat mixture into balls the size of golf balls, each weighing approx. 70g. Add them to the tomato sauce and leave to poach for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked through.

Adjust the seasoning and serve the meatballs immediately with a few spoonfuls of sauce and fresh bread to mop up the sauce. Any leftover sauce can be kept to serve with pasta.