The Dish | Messy Meatball Buns

These days simplicity is my priority. I love Jamie Oliver’s “5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food” cookbook for this reason — yummy, kid-friendly, simple meals. Enjoy this dish on a busy weeknight with a green salad on the side.

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 lb. lean minced beef 
  • 8 heaped teaspoons green pesto 
  • One 16oz tin of plum tomatoes 
  • One 4oz ball of mozzarella 
  • 4 soft burger buns
DIRECTIONS:
  • Use your clean hands to scrunch the minced beef with half the pesto and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. 
  • Split into 12 pieces and, with wet hands, roll into balls. Brown the balls all over in a non-stick frying pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, shaking the pan regularly.
  • Once the balls are golden and gnarly, pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, along with just a quarter of the tomato tin’s worth of water. 
  • Bring to the boil, slice the mozzarella and lay over the balls, pop the lid on and leave to thicken for 5 minutes on a medium heat. 
  • Meanwhile, warm your buns in a large dry non-stick frying pan or in the oven on a low heat.
  • Split each bun and spread 1 heaped teaspoon of pesto inside. Divvy up the balls and mozzarella with a little sauce, serving the rest on the side for dunking.

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