Ingredients

• 450g/1lb Italian sausages
• 2 tbsp garlic oil
• 4 fat or 6 spindly spring onions
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp white wine or vermouth
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

• Squeeze out the sausagemeat from the sausages and roll small cherry tomato-sized meatballs out of it
• putting them onto a cling film-lined baking tray as you go. Your final tally should be around 40.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan or flameproof casserole and add the meatballs
• frying them until golden-brown
• as they become firmer
• nudge them up in the pan to make room for the rest if you can’t fit them all in at first.
• When all the meatballs are in the pan and browned
• add the spring onion and oregano and stir about gently.
• Add the wine (or vermouth) and chopped tomatoes
• then fill half of one of the empty cans with cold water and tip it into the other empty can
• then into the pan - the can-to-can technique is just my way of making sure you swill out as much of the tomato residue as possible.
• Pop in the bay leaves and let the pan come to a fast simmer. Leave to cook like this
• uncovered
• for 20 minutes
• or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the meatballs are cooked through. Check the sauce for seasoning
• adding some salt and pepper if you like.
• During this time you can cook whatever you fancy to go with the meatballs
• whether it be pasta
• rice
• whatever.
• Once the meatballs are ready
• you can eat them immediately or let them stand
• off the heat but still on the stove
• for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken up a bit on standing. Should your diners be other than children who baulk at ‘green bits’
• sprinkle with parsley to serve.