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Sausage fennel meatballs with creamy tomato butter beans

Sausage fennel meatballs with creamy tomato butter beans in a casserole dish with a green salad alongside

Sausage fennel meatballs with creamy tomato butter beans

Name: Sausage fennel meatballs with creamy tomato butter beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves finely sliced; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 2 x 400g cans butter beans drained; 400g pork sausagemeat or sausages, skins removed; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 100g ricotta; 20g parmesan grated, plus extra to serve; 20g panko breadcrumbs; 70ml double cream; small handful of basil finely chopped, to serve

Suzanne Mulholland

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 25 mins - 30 mins

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.14 ratingsRate

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Try a twist on traditional meatballs by using sausagemeat and ricotta to make the juiciest meatballs. They're baked with creamy butter beans and tomatoes

Freezable

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves

finely sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans butter beans

drained
400g pork sausagemeat

or sausages, skins removed
1 tsp fennel seeds
100g ricotta
20g parmesan

grated, plus extra to serve
20g panko breadcrumbs
70ml double cream
small handful of basil

finely chopped, to serve

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal596
fat39g
saturates16g
carbs31g
sugars7g
fibre10g
protein25g
salt1.6g

Method

step 1

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min before adding the tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, then add the chopped tomatoes, swilling out the can with water, adding that too, then the butter beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins.
step 2

Tip the sausagemeat, fennel seeds, ricotta, parmesan and breadcrumbs into a large bowl and season with pepper. Mix well using your hands then divide into 12 balls. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cream and season to taste.
step 3

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Pour the creamy butter beans into a shallow baking dish and put the meatballs on top. Cook in the oven for 25-30 mins. Top with extra grated parmesan and fresh basil. Otherwise, leave to cool fully, cover well and freeze.

Recipe tip

To reheat
Defrost if frozen, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4, then cook in the oven for 25-30 mins. Once cooked, top with the remaining grated parmesan and basil.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2025

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.14 ratings

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