Parsnip noodles with meatballs

NUTRITIONAL COUNT PER SERVING: PROTEIN (47.3G); CARBOHYDRATE (56.9G); TOTAL FAT (29G); FIBRE (20.9G) SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 40 MINUTES

500g lean minced grass-fed beef 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 medium carrot (120g), grated finely 1 free-range egg, beaten lightly 2 tablespoons rolled oats ¼ cup (60ml) cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, extra, chopped finely 2 tablespoons no-added-sugar tomato paste 2 cups (500ml) chicken or beef stock 400g can diced tomatoes 6 large parsnips (2kg), trimmed ¼ cup (20g) finely grated pecorino or parmesan ¼ cup basil leaves

1 Combine beef, garlic, carrot and egg in a bowl; season. Process oats until chopped finely. Add to bowl; mix well. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large deep frying pan over mediumhigh heat. Cook meatballs, shaking pan occasionally, for 4 minutes or until browned all over. Remove from pan. 3 Heat another 1 tablespoon of the oil in same pan over medium heat. Cook onion and extra garlic, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock and tomatoes; bring to boil. Return meatballs to pan; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Season. 4 Using a spiraliser (see Lorna’s Tip), cut parsnips into thick noodles. Heat remaining oil in a separate large deep frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add parsnip; cook, covered, for five minutes or until just tender. Season to taste. 5 Serve parsnip noodles with meatballs and sauce, topped with pecorino and basil. Meatballs in sauce suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.