Pork Sausage & Ricotta Meatballs
over Orzo with Curly Leaf & Apple Side Salad
Cooking time
25 minutes
Servings
2/4
Calories
680 /serving
It’s a whole new ballgame. When Italian-spiced ground pork sausage meat meets light, creamy ricotta cheese, a meatball star is born! (You’ll also put a little panko in there to keep the mix light and airy.) Boost these babies with a tomato-based sauce to turn up the brightness to its highest setting. Serve them over al dente orzo pasta and toss slices of apple into a curly leaf lettuce salad, and see more light bulbs go off.
We will send you:
- 300g Mild Italian pork sausage meat
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Apple
- 1 Head of curly leaf lettuce
- 30ml Red wine vinegar
- 20g Panko
- 140g Orzo
- 100ml Tomato sauce
- 60g Ricotta
- 7.5g Olive Branch spices (garlic, red bell pepper, dried black olives, basil, oregano, salt, parsley, lemon powder, sunflower oil, black pepper)
Contains: Milk, Sulphites, Wheat
You will need:
Medium pot
Large pan
Strainer
Oil
Salt & pepper (S&P)
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Sodium
1680 mg
Total Carb
86 g
Sugars
18 g
Protein
42 g
Fibre
8 g
Preparation
Boil the orzo
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and boil, 9 to 10 min., until just tender. Drain and rinse. Return to the pot and toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking. Keep warm.
Prepare the meatballs
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the sausage meat, ricotta, panko, spices and S&P. Form into 8 meatballs (double for 4 portions) about the size of a golf ball.
Cook & coat the meatballs
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Add the meatballs* and cook, partially covered, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 min., until browned and partially cooked. Add the tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, spooning the sauce over, 3 to 5 min., until cooked through and coated; season with S&P.
Make the salad
Meanwhile, separate the lettuce leaves; tear the leaves. Halve, core and thinly slice the apple. Thinly slice the cucumber crosswise. In a second large bowl, combine the vinegar (start with ½), a drizzle of oil and S&P. Add the lettuce, apple and cucumber; toss well.
Plate your dish
Divide the orzo between your bowls. Top with the meatballs and sauce. Serve the salad on the side. Bon appétit!
*Health Canada recommends cooking ground pork to a minimum internal temperature of 71°C.
