Sausage Meatball Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Serves 2

Got home and I am craving something quick, easy and green. Not feeling the whole vegetarian thing tonight and there was a pack of sausages in the fridge that kept staring at me. So this is the concoction I came up with.. Spicy sausage meatballs packed with the freshness of fresh herbs, plus loads of my favourite early spring vegetables in a light mustardy creamy sauce. Really simple, really delicious!

For the Meatballs:

6 pack of good sausages

2 Green Chilli’s

Handful of Garden Herbs (Mint, Marjoram, Garlic Chives)

Maldon Salt

Black Pepper

Run a knife down the sausages and release them from their skins, breaking them up into a mixing bowl. Next, really finely chop the green chilli’s (I had a bunch of Frozen ones, but a tsp of dried Chilli flakes would work fine). Also chop the garden herbs, then place the herbs, chilli and a really good amount of seasoning into the sausage mix. Mix thoroughly and then grabbing equal small amounts roll in the sausage mix into little balls (as round as a 10p piece). Get them all rolled out, place on a plate and then let them sit in the fridge to chill for 25 minutes or as long as you have got (this will help them hold together better).

Grow your own herbs and buy herb starter kits at the Great Dinner Recipes Store

Get a pan for the Spaghetti on, season it with sea salt and add a chicken stock cube.

Next the spring vegetables:

1 White Onion (although Spring Onions would have worked even better)

Bunch of Asparagus

Small bunch of Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Small bunch of Spinach (washed)

Small bunch of Watercress (washed)

Chop the onion finely and the spring vegetables into bite sized chunks (discarding thick stalks and then ends of the Asparagus).

Next, fry off the meatballs in a large pan with plenty of Olive Oil, you want colour on the meatballs so give it some heat (tip: move the pan don’t use a spatula as this will break up the meatballs). Once they are cooked (5 – 7 minutes for small meatballs) remove from the pan and keep warm on the hob.

Next, cook the onion, turn the heat down and cook the onion gently until translucent (make sure you use the fat and the pan you cooked the meatballs in), add a little salt at this point as it makes the onion release its water and helps a little in preventing them from colouring.

You’ll need ½ 500g packet of Wholewheat Spaghetti for 2 healthy portions.

To make the sauce and cook the vegetables you’ll need to have everything ready.. (put the Spaghetti on now).

Get the Broccoli in the pan with the onions and gently cook for a couple of minutes. By the end of cooking you want the spring vegetables to be warmed through but still with a crunch and bursting with vitamins and goodness.

Next add the chopped Asparagus and a ladle of the liquid that the Spaghetti is cooking in, this will help the vegetables to steam lightly and provide some liquid for the sauce.

For the sauce:

Tsp of Wholegrain Mustard

5 Tbsp Mascarpone

Add Mascarpone and Mustard to the pan, stir in (add a little more of the pasta water if necessary). Next add the chopped Spinach and Water cress and a little chopped Parsley. Stir in, until the vegetables just start to wilt and then add the sausage meatballs. Tong the Spaghetti straight into the pan, stir it all up so the vegetables are evenly distributed and then (by grabbing a load of spaghetti and twisting it as you put it on the dish) place it onto a warm plate.

Finish with some Parmesan, a little more chopped Parsley and some fresh green tasting Olive Oil.