Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pumpkin

Name: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pumpkin
Ingredients: 500 g ground beef; 50 g white bread + 100 ml milk; zest of half a lemon; 1-2 cloves garlic; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; salt; pepper; vegetable oil for frying; 1 can (400 g) canned tomatoes in their own juice (or 400 g fresh tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste); 150 g peeled pumpkin; 150 g onion; salt

Tender beef meatballs in tomato sauce, with a delicate hint of lemon and thyme. The meatballs are first quickly pan-fried to develop a nice golden crust, then braised in a rich tomato sauce with pumpkin. I had never added lemon zest to meat dishes before — this time I decided to give it a try. I really loved it; it gave the dish a very interesting, almost exotic aroma, especially combined with the thyme. That said, you can absolutely use any other spices you like in your meat mixture. For the sauce, I added pumpkin — I already had some prepped and frozen. The taste of pumpkin in the finished dish was completely unrecognizable; some of my taste testers were convinced it was carrot :-) By the way, if you've cut open a large pumpkin and can't use it all right away, you can peel it, cut it into cubes or slices, and freeze it in bags. I do this often — it's very convenient to toss into various stews, braised meats or vegetables, and so on. This recipe made 22 meatballs.

Ingredients:

500 g ground beef
50 g white bread + 100 ml milk
zest of half a lemon
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt
pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Sauce:
1 can (400 g) canned tomatoes in their own juice (or 400 g fresh tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste)
150 g peeled pumpkin
150 g onion
salt

How to cook meatballs in tomato sauce with pumpkin

Trim the crusts off the bread and soak it in the milk.

Place the ground beef in a bowl (I used homemade ground beef). Add the bread, gently squeezed of excess milk, the minced garlic, and the zest from half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper, then add the thyme (I like to rub it between my fingers first to release the aroma).

Knead the meat mixture thoroughly.

Shape the mixture into small meatballs (I got 22).

Peel the onion and finely chop it.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Fry the meatballs over medium heat, turning to brown all sides until golden. Work in two or three batches so the meatballs have plenty of room — this way they'll actually fry rather than steam. Transfer them to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Add the onion to the skillet (add more oil if needed). Cook for about 5 minutes until golden.

Add the canned tomatoes in their own juice (I first press them through a colander to remove the seeds). If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes, score them with a cross, peel off the skins, and dice them finely. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper (I also stirred an extra large pinch of thyme into the sauce).

Return the meatballs to the skillet and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Add the diced pumpkin (if frozen, there's no need to thaw it first).

Continue simmering for another 20–30 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. This is what the finished dish looks like.

Serve hot alongside mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice. These aromatic meatballs in tomato sauce paired with a side dish make a delicious and hearty dinner or lunch for the whole family.