{"id":"7b802a08-be1e-4491-953b-9646a96fedad","url":"https://recipestripper.com/recipes/7b802a08-be1e-4491-953b-9646a96fedad","source_url":"https://www.mob.co.uk/recipes/pork-ricotta-fennel-seed-meatballs-with-tomato-cream-butter-beans","title":"Pork, Ricotta & Fennel Seed Meatballs with Tomato Cream Butter Beans","description":"Making meatballs is a great way to stretch the quantity of meat you buy, bulking it out with extra ingredients that bring flavour and boost texture.","servings":4,"servings_text":"4 servings","prep_time":"PT40M","cook_time":"PT40M","total_time":"PT80M","image_url":"https://mob-cdn.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/recipes/2025/4/Family-Pork-Ricotta-Fennel-Seed-Meatballs-with-Tomato-Cream-Butter-Beans.jpg","ingredients":[{"text":"400g Pork Mince","item":"Pork Mince","quantity":400,"unit":"g"},{"text":"100g Ricotta","item":"Ricotta","quantity":100,"unit":"g"},{"text":"1 Egg","item":"Egg","quantity":1},{"text":"50g Breadcrumb","item":"Breadcrumb","quantity":50,"unit":"g"},{"text":"30g Pecorino Romano","item":"Pecorino Romano","quantity":30,"unit":"g"},{"text":"1tsp Fennel Seed","item":"Fennel Seed","quantity":1,"unit":"tsp"},{"text":"Salt (to serve)","item":"Salt","preparation":"to serve"},{"text":"Black Pepper (to serve)","item":"Black Pepper","preparation":"to serve"},{"text":"Olive Oil (to serve)","item":"Olive Oil","preparation":"to serve"},{"text":"2 Garlic Clove","item":"Garlic Clove","quantity":2},{"text":"2tbsp Tomato Purée","item":"Tomato Purée","quantity":2,"unit":"tbsp"},{"text":"2x 400g Can Butter Beans","item":"x 400g Can Butter Beans","quantity":2},{"text":"200ml Double Cream","item":"Double Cream","quantity":200,"unit":"ml"},{"text":"10Leaf Sage","item":"Leaf Sage","quantity":10},{"text":"0.5tsp Chilli Flakes","item":"Chilli Flakes","quantity":0.5,"unit":"tsp"},{"text":"2tbsp Olive Oil","item":"Olive Oil","quantity":2,"unit":"tbsp"}],"instructions":[{"number":1,"text":"Lightly crush your fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, if you have one. Leave them whole if not. Now, combine the mince, ricotta, egg, breadcrumbs and fennel in a large bowl. Mix well, then finely grate in the pecorino and season generously with salt and pepper. Vigorously mix for a couple of minutes, until the mixture feels cohesive and a bit sticky."},{"number":2,"text":"Wet your hands and roll the mixture into balls about the size of ping-pong balls. Put the meatballs onto a plate and chill for 30 minutes to firm-up. If making ahead, cover and leave in the fridge until the next day."},{"number":3,"text":"Finely chop the garlic. Set a large frying pan over a medium heat, add enough oil to lightly coat the base, then fry the meatballs in a single layer in a large frying pan over a medium heat, in batches if needed, for 5-8 mins until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate, leaving the fat behind in the pan."},{"number":4,"text":"Drain the beans, keeping the liquid for later if needed. Add the garlic and sage to the pan, then cook over a medium heat for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tomato purée and a big pinch of chilli flakes, then stir in the beans and cream and season well. Heat the oven to 200°C."},{"number":5,"text":"Bring the pan to a simmer, then add the browned meatballs back to the pan with an optional splash of water to loosen just a little (no more than 80ml). Bring the pan back up to a simmer, put the lid on and transfer to the oven for 25-30 mins, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through. Add the reserved bean liquid if it needs loosening. You can remove the lid and give the pan a flash under a hot grill to colour if you like, but this isn’t a necessity."},{"number":6,"text":"Remove from the oven and finish with extra grated pecorino, a splash more olive oil and a few extra chilli flakes, if you like."}],"date_published":"2026-10-31T01:50:28.953397+00:00","date_modified":"2026-10-31T01:50:28.953397+00:00"}