Juicy pork and aromatic fennel makes a very tasty combination. Full of flavour and simple to make these pork and fennel meatballs in tomato sauce are wonderful rendition of the family favourite.

ALL the ingredients for this recipe are now available at your local Ritchies supermarket. Find your local VIC, NSW or QLD store.

pork and fennel meatballs in tomato sauce

• 500g pork mince
• 1 fennel bulb, grated, plus leafy fronds, chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, inner stalks and leaves, finely diced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup of flour (for dusting before frying)
• ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

for the sauce

• 1 fennel bulb, quartered then finely sliced, plus leafy fronds, chopped
• 1 large brown onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 x 800g tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 bottle tomato passatta
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

With your finger, crumble the mince into a large mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients except the flour. Mix well with your hands, ensuring that all of the ingredients are incorporated thoroughly. With clean, dry hands take about a (large) tablespoon of the pork mix and form into a ball with your hands, repeat until all of the mix has been rolled into consistently sized balls. Put the flour and salt and pepper into a clean, medium sized bowl and drop the balls, 2 or 3 at a time into the flour, and roll around until evenly coated. Set the meatballs aside on a tray until they are all complete. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based fry-pan over a medium to high heat. Place the meatballs into the hot oil, leaving around a 5cm space between. Fry in batches,, turning every 2 minutes or until they turn golden-brown on all sides and are just cooked in the middle. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or slice and set aside on paper-towel. In the same pan, add the sliced onions, fennel and gently fry until it softens and starts to turn golden brown, add the garlic and carefully stir through, cooking for a further1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the tomatoes and passata and stir the onions and fennel through, simmer for 10 minutes then add the meatballs and cook for a further 15 minutes or until they are heated through. Serve with pasta or rice and garnish with a little fresh parsley. Serves 4

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.