Nobody can resist these chorizo meatballs

Pasta, especially with tomato-based sauces, is one of my favourite things to eat. I love making my own versions of things, and the meatballs are a little bit different in this, with some chopped chorizo mixed through.

I cook this for the whole family, and everyone – even the fussy ones – eats some part of it. It’s really simple to make and can be a two-day dinner, which is very handy for busy families. It also works as a great dish for entertaining friends.

This particular recipe came from a mix of sources, one being a home-economics book, and then I’ve adapted the recipe many times, tweaking the sauce. I make my own base sauce and then add a shop-bought jar of tomato and basil sauce to bulk it out – there are lots of good-quality sauces on the shop shelves these days.

After the meatballs are seared I cover them with the sauce and slow cook in the oven. (This ensures the meatballs don’t fall apart.) To serve, I recommend lots more Parmesan cheese on top and some delicious garlic ciabatta to soak up all the sauce at the end.

Paul O’Connell’s delicious chilli con carne fit for a rugby team

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Consuming slightly less salt can have big health benefits

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Win a trip to Bordeaux or a four-night gourmet getaway in Ireland

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Sarah Battle is a home economist and lifestyle content creator; @housebythewhitethorns

Sarah Battle’s chorizo meatballs

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
For the meatballs
750g round-steak mince
140g chorizo, blitzed
80g breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small white onion, finely diced
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small egg, beaten
Olive oil for cooking

For the tomato sauce
½ jar black pitted olives
2 large packets of vine tomatoes
4 basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil for drizzling
Shop-bought jar of tomato sauce
500g packet of spaghetti
Parmesan cheese for serving

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2 In a bowl, add the minced beef, finely blitzed chorizo, breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, finely diced or blitzed onion and grated Parmesan, and bring it all together with a fork. Add the beaten egg to bind all the ingredients together. Using your hands roll into balls about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter.

3 Heat some oil in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish (I use a cast-iron skillet), then add the meatballs. Sear and brown them all over, then remove from the heat while you make the sauce.

4 To make the home-made tomato sauce, put the olives, tomatoes, basil and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

5 Remove from the oven, add to a bowl or container, add the jar of shop-bought tomato sauce and blend – I use a stick blender – until smooth. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in your ovenproof pan.

6 Put the meatballs and sauce in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

7 Cook your spaghetti according to your packet instructions.

8 Serve in bowls, putting meatballs on top of a bed of pasta, and sprinkle with Parmesan.