Spicy Tomato Meatballs with green pitted Olives – Easy Mediterranean Recipe
These spicy tomato meatballs with olives is a rich, flavour-packed Mediterranean dish where olives become the star ingredient.
The green pitted olives add depth, saltiness, and complexity that elevate the entire sauce. Their natural richness balances the acidity of tomatoes and the warmth of spices, creating a perfectly rounded flavour.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 500g Beef mince
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Sweet Pimenton
- 2–3 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp Bell & Loxton Rapeseed oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the spicy tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Bell and Loxton Rapeseed oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 100g Unsmoked bacon or cubes of cooked ham
- 1 tsp Sweet pimenton
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 150g/5½oz pitted green olives
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- freshly cooked rice, to serve (optional)
Method
1. To make the meatballs, mix the beef, pork, egg, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, sweet pimenton.
Using your hands, shape the mixture into round balls, adding another tablespoon of flour if the mixture feels too wet to form into balls.
Roll the balls in flour to lightly cover. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large, shallow dish and brown the meatballs.
2. For the sauce, heat the oil in the same casserole dish and fry the onion and bacon/ham until the onions are softened. Add the sweet pimenton and cinnamon and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée and water.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the olives and meatballs, together with any juices they have released.
3. Cover the dish and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with freshly chopped parsley sprinkled on the top.
Dishes like this showcase how versatile olives can be — not just as snacks or antipasti, but as a core cooking ingredient that adds depth and character to everyday meals.
A great way to use up any olives you have in the fridge, just make sure their good quality olives ideally West Country Olives!
We love hearing what you have made with our olives, make sure to share with us next time you get creative in the kitchen.
