Recipe for Meatballs & Beans

Coarsely chop the tomatoes, half the parsley, the oregano, and the onion. Pour the parsley, oregano, and onion into a blender and blend until you achieve a fine mixture. Add the tomatoes and paprika and blend again until you obtain a fairly fine mixture.

Mix the ground lamb with a quarter of the tomato mixture, kneading everything by hand until you have a homogeneous mixture.

Form small balls the size of a large nut with this mixture. Heat a skillet over fairly high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, quickly brown the balls. Once they are well browned, set them aside on a plate.

Pour the remaining oil into the skillet, add the minced mixture with tomatoes and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Return the meatballs to the skillet (if they have released some juice, add it). Continue cooking covered over low heat for about ten minutes, stirring regularly. If the sauce reduces too much, add half a glass of water during cooking.

Add the cooked beans, drained, and a glass of water. Continue cooking for 5 minutes covered on low heat, then 5 minutes uncovered while stirring regularly. The tomato sauce should then cover the meatballs and the beans without being either too dry or too liquid. If it is too dry, add a bit of water during cooking; if it is too liquid, extend the cooking time uncovered for a bit longer.

To finish, roughly chop the remaining parsley, place it in a blender, and blend until fine. Then add the grated cheese and breadcrumbs, and blend again to mix everything well.