Rich Tomato Soup with Meatballs and Pasta

MEATBALLS: Whisk the egg, milk, garlic, oregano and the mustard together in a large bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs, season well with salt and pepper and leave for 5 minutes. Add the mince and mix until well combined. The mixture will be quite soft, but this will give you tender meatballs. Form into 26 small, rustic-looking meatballs.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat and, in batches, quickly cook the meatballs until golden on all sides. The meatballs don’t need to be fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Don’t wash the pot.

SOUP: Heat a little more oil in the pot if needed and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, paprika, dried oregano, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and cinnamon with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

TO SERVE: Add the peppers and the meatballs to the soup and simmer gently until the meatballs are fully cooked, about 8 minutes. Stir in the spinach and the cooked pasta. Divide between bowls and serve with parmesan for grating. SERVES 4–5

COOK'S NOTES: Jars of roasted red peppers are available in the condiments aisle in supermarkets.

We served the soup with a store-bought loaf of caramelised onion ciabatta.