Fennel and orange pork spaghetti meatballs

I’ve been contemplating all things pork this past week or two, ever since the fantastic five-course meal I enjoyed in the Hamm & Uys restaurant on the beautiful Blaauwklippen wine estate. The occasion? SA Pork’s year-end function for food media and people in the food industry. It was a day designed to highlight the wonderful versatility of pork and what a treat it was. We opened with a farm-to-table salad with mosbolletjies and ‘kaiing’-butter. Next up West Coast mussels served in a heavenly coppa ham infused cream. After that we tucked into Korean BBQ pork rashers with waterblommetjie kimchi and sweet mustard mayo. Still we weren’t done feasting because next up was pork neck ‘denningvleis’ on tamarind risotto. And for pudding? A sublime bacon and egg ice cream!

I honestly don’t think there is another meat that lends itself to as many interpretations as pork. I’ve shared many pork recipes in the past because I am such a fan. From my pork chops with mushrooms in a cider cream sauce, to a pork and green fig terrine, from roast pork loin with beurre noisette sweet potatoes to parmesan and rosemary pork schnitzel. But I felt so inspired after my SA Pork lunch that I decided to experiment and test something new. And here it is: my fennel and orange pork spaghetti meatballs in an indulgently creamy tomato pasta sauce. It’s a wonderful alternative to the more traditional beef version and a recipe I’m definitely making again. If you’re stuck for recipe inspiration this festive season think SA pork!

All you need is…

For the pasta sauce
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 fat clove garlic, finely minced
1 x 50g sachet of tomato paste
1 x 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
4 Tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp cream or mascarpone
For the pork meatballs
250g pork mince
1 slice white bread
½ tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
third of a teaspoon salt
zest of one orange, finely grated

For the sauce: Gently fry off the onion in the olive oil over low heat until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the tomato paste and fry for a further minute. Add the tin of cherry tomatoes, water, sugar and salt. Turn heat low, place lid on and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in cream or mascarpone.

For the pork meatballs: Blitz the white bread in your food processor to form crumbs. Combine breadcrumbs with the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly and shape smallish meatballs. Fry meatballs off in olive oil until cooked through.

Serve meatballs and pasta sauce on cooked spaghetti. This recipe serves two people. For a family-sized meal, simply double up.