Meatballs with lemon zest in tomato sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g minced beef or mixed
• 1 medium-sized onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely chopped
• 1 lemon(s) (organic), zest
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs, more if needed
• salt and pepper
• Olive oil for frying
• 2 cans of tomatoes
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• Oregano, fresh or dried
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

the lemon peel gives the meatballs a particularly fresh taste

For the meatballs, wash the lemon in hot water and then grate the zest. Finely chop the onion and garlic clove. Place the minced meat, onion, garlic, lemon zest, egg, chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix everything well. Form the dough into small meatballs and fry them in olive oil. Then drain the oil on kitchen paper. For the sauce, remove the stems and skin from the canned tomatoes, chop them up, and set aside in a bowl with the reserved tomato juice. Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in olive oil in a pan until translucent. Add the tomatoes and their juice, season with salt, pepper, and oregano, and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes. Season the sauce again for added spice, then add the meatballs to the pot and simmer until the meatballs are either cooked through or warmed through (depending on how long they were cooked). Serve with pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.