Name: Italian tuna balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 160g cans of tuna in sunflower or olive oil, drained (reserve a little oil); small handful of pine nuts; freshly grated zest 1 lemon; small handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped; 50g fresh breadcrumb; 1 egg beaten; 400g spaghetti; 500g jar pasta sauce

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Italian tuna balls

Italian tuna balls

Good Food team

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 15 mins

Ready in 20 mins

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.75 ratingsRate

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A superhealthy twist on a family favourite that can be served with spaghetti or squashed flat and cooked as burgers

Easily doubled

Easily halved

Freezable

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 160g cans of tuna

in sunflower or olive oil, drained (reserve a little oil)
small handful of pine nuts
freshly grated zest 1 lemon
small handful parsley

leaves, roughly chopped
50g fresh breadcrumb
1 egg

beaten
400g spaghetti
500g jar pasta sauce

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal594
fat12g
saturates2g
carbs92g
sugars8g
fibre4g
protein35g
salt1.42g

low

Method

step 1

Flake the tuna into a bowl, then tip in the pine nuts, lemon zest, parsley, breadcrumbs and egg. Season and mix together with your hands until completely combined. Roll the mix into 12 walnut-size balls. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil, then cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions.
step 2

Heat a little of the tuna oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the tuna balls for 5 mins, turning every minute or so until completely golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Heat the tomato sauce, then toss together with the pasta and tuna balls.

RECIPE TIPS

MAKE IT INTO BURGERS

Tex-Mex burgers: Tip the drained tuna, breadcrumbs and egg into a bowl with a handful sweetcorn kernels, a sprinkling Tex-Mex or fajita seasoning and a small handful chopped coriander. Mould the mix into 4 burgers, cook as above and serve in buns with your favourite burger toppings.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2007

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.75 ratings

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