I have many recipes for meatballs but this one is probably the most instantly gratifying. The sauce is comprised of cherry tomatoes left to their own devices slowly softening into garlic, thyme and butter while the meatballs or polpette use sausage meat injected with fennel seeds and the bite of chilli flakes. Swirled in a pot of perfectly al dente bucatini, this is a dream dinner.
Serves 4 
40mins For the sauce:
3½ oz butter
50ml olive oil
1lb 2oz cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
For the polpette:
1lb 2oz sausage meat
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 Tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
1 egg
2oz breadcrumbs
1tsp olive oil
To serve:
120z bucatini
Small handful basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
100g butter
50ml olive oil
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
For the polpette:
500g sausage meat
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 Tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
1 egg
50g breadcrumbs
1tsp olive oil
To serve:
350g bucatini
Small handful basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauté pan
Frying pan
Saucepan
