Roast root veg ribbon st...
2019-03-19
Want to make ordinary root vegetables positively gourmet – in under 30 min...
Beef ball & tomato courgette pasta
Prep 10 mins
Cooking 20 mins
Serves 4-5
Beef loves tomato and tomato loves courgettes. So, we thought why not put these party pals together in a knockout little pasta dish that ticks all the healthy-eating boxes – and just happens to be super yummy too. We lay on the flavour with umami-drenched beef balls and soul-satisfying garlic, and kick the freshness ball out the park with loads of parsley (soooo good for you) and lemon too. It’s a one-pan dinner wonder, done and dusted in under 25 minutes.
What you will need
- 500g lean beef mince
- 2 tsp seasoning - Meat
- ¾ tsp finely chopped rosemary
- Lrg bunch of flatleaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
- 1 punnet baby vine tomatoes
- Lrg clove garlic, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 packets courgette spaghetti (make your own if you have a spiralizer)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 deseeded red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
- Good quality aged parmesan
Method
Mix the mince, spice, rosemary and a tablespoon of the chopped parsley together. It’s not necessary to add egg to bind it, but you can if you want. If you don’t mind the carbs or gluten and want slightly lighter beef balls, blitz one slice of crustless white bread in your food processor to form crumbs and add to the meat mix.
Form small balls and shallow-fry them in olive oil until cooked through. Remove from the pan and cover with tinfoil to keep warm. Add another slug of olive oil if necessary and tumble in the baby tomatoes. Fry until they blister, then add the garlic (and chilli if using) and fry for a further minute. Now tumble in the courgettes and fry very briefly until it just starts to soften – about a minute does the trick. Add the lemon zest and juice and toss in loads of chopped parsley. Top with the beef balls and parmesan shavings and tuck in.
Recipe & photography by food stylist and blogger of everything yum, Lizet Hartley: http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za
