Beef & Basil Pesto Meatballs

In a medium bowl, combine the beef mince, fine breadcrumbs, salt, egg and basil pesto. Using damp hands, take a heaped spoonful of the beef mixture and gently shape into a small meatball. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get about 4-5 meatballs per person.

TIP: The pesto makes these meatballs extra tender but also delicate, so handle them carefully!

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until ‘al dente’, 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain the pasta, then return to the saucepan and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking. While the pasta is cooking, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the beef meatballs until browned, 5-6 minutes (the meatballs will continue cooking in step 5). Cook in batches if your pan is getting crowded. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

TIP: 'Al dente' pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre.

Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat and add another drizzle of olive oil, if needed. Add the onion, garlic, dried oregano (see ingredients) and zucchini and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add the passata, brown sugar, butter and some reserved pasta water (1 1/2 tbs for 2 people / 3 tbs for 4 people). Crumble the beef stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people) into the sauce and bring to the boil.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover with a lid or foil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 6-7 minutes. Add the baby spinach leaves to the pan, increase the heat to high and cover with a lid or foil until just wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste.

TIP: Add more reserved pasta water to your sauce if it's dry!