Pork & Olive Meatballs With Creamy Tomato Spaghetti

Boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice your shallot[s]

Chop your black olives roughly

Peel and chop (or grate!) your garlic

Add your mince (remove the paper if required!) to a large bowl with the diced shallot, chopped olives, half the chopped garlic (you'll use the rest later!) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper

Mix thoroughly with clean hands, then divide the mixture into 3 per person and shape into meatballs – these are your mince & olive meatballs

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with matching lid) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the mince & olive meatballs and cook for 2 min on each side or until browned

(Doubled your protein? Use 2 pans!)

Meanwhile, chop your tomato[es] roughly

Dissolve your chicken stock mix, tomato paste and soft cheese in 100ml [125ml] [150ml] boiled water – this is your creamy tomato stock

Add your pasta to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the pasta for 7-9 min (10-12 for wholewheat) or until cooked with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain the cooked pasta and reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water

Once the meatballs have browned, add the remaining chopped garlic, chopped tomato, dried oregano and dried basil to the pan and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the creamy tomato stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your mince & olive meatball sauce

Once done, add the cooked pasta to the mince & olive meatball sauce with half your grated Italian hard cheese (save the rest for garnish!) and give everything a good mix up – this is your mince & olive meatballs with creamy tomato pasta

Tip: Add a splash of the reserved starchy pasta water if the pasta is looking a little dry