Herby meatballs and giant couscous
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Herby meatballs and giant couscous
A summery spin on meatballs and pasta that tastes even better if you cook the meatballs on the barbecue. Serve any leftovers for lunch the next day
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 x 450g jar Odysea Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers, drained
- ½ x 30g pack mint, leaves picked
- 2 echalion shallots, 1 finely chopped, 1 sliced
- 75g Be Good to Yourself Greek Style Salad Cheese, crumbled
- 50g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 x 500g pack 5% fat beef mince
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 300g giant couscous
- 25g skin-on hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve (optional)
Step by step
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Cook the giant couscous in boiling water according to pack instructions (about 8 minutes). Drain, then rinse under cold running water and transfer to a large bowl.
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Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Roughly chop the remaining peppers and add to the couscous with the remaining mint leaves, the sliced shallot, hazelnuts, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste, toss everything together and set aside while you cook the meatballs.
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Arrange the meatballs on a baking tray, brush with the remaining olive oil and bake for 22-25 minutes, finishing them under the grill for extra colour if needed (see ‘Kitchen tip’ for cooking on a barbecue).
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Add the meatballs to the couscous salad. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over, if you like.
The meatballs are great on a barbecue – brush with oil, then grill over a direct heat for 20 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through and nicely charred.
