For the meatballs

500g beef mince

200g fresh ricotta

Salt and freshly ground pepper

50g parmesan

1 egg

1/2 a cup of bread crumbs

For the sauce

1/2 onion, very thinly sliced

500g passata or 1 can tomatoes, crushed, thinned out with a little water

200g peas, shelled weight

1 bunch spinach, wash and tough stalks removed

For the meatballs, grease a large, flat oven tray and set aside. Then mix the beef, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl. Using your hands, squish everything together til well combined. Roll into 30g balls and place on a greased tray. Preheat the oven to 220C while they rest and you make the sauce.

For the sauce heat the olive oil in a large frypan over low heat and add the onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occacionlly until very soft, add the passata or tomatoes and let it bubble away while you put the meatballs in the oven.

Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, turning half way through the cooking time.

While the meatballs are baking, blanch the peas and spinach for 5 minutes each in salted boiling water. Set aside and drain.

When the meatballs are done, gently slide them into the sauce. Beucase they have ricotta in them they are a little more delicate that your average meatball! let it simmer away for 15 minutes.

When they are done, stir the cooked peas, spinach and oregano gently through and serve with rice or bread, a big scoop of tahini would be nice!