Meatballs with Pine Nuts in Tomato Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Grate or finely chop the onions in the food processor, drain, and turn them into a bowl. Add the ground lamb with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice, and work into a paste with your hands. Roll the paste into small walnut-size balls. Make a hole in each ball with your finger, stuff the cavity with a few pine nuts, and close the hole. Alternatively, and more easily, work the pine nuts into the meat paste, then roll it into balls.

   Step 2

   Put a little oil in a soup plate and roll the meatballs in it. Put them in a baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until their color changes.

   Step 3

   For the sauce, cut up the tomatoes and liquefy them in the food processor or blender. Add a little salt and pepper, the sugar, and garlic, if using, and pour over the meatballs. Bake them for another 35 minutes, turning the meatballs over once.

2. variation

   Step 4

   Add the juice of 1 lemon and a good pinch of chili flakes to the sauce.