Macaroni with Meatballs

For the meatballs

Soak the bread briefly in the milk.

Add the minced meat, egg and a pinch of lemon zest, season with salt and ground black pepper and knead together well.

Shape the mixture into small balls.

For the tomato sauce

Fry the shallots and garlic in 2 tbsp hot oil in a pan until translucent.

Stir in the tomato purée, add the tomatoes and simmer gently for around 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt, ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar.

Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.

Fry the meatballs in the remaining hot oil for around 5 minutes on all sides.

Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper, then add to the tomato sauce and heat through for 1-2 minutes to absorb the flavours.

To serve, drain the pasta and serve with the meatballs in the tomato sauce.