- Drain the lentils, then blitz in a food processor with the bread and 1 tbsp of pesto. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper, then pulse in the minced beef.
- Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C and place a large hob-safe casserole pan on a high heat. Deseed the pepper and cut into pieces, then place in the dry pan to blister and cook for 5 mins.
- Divide the meatball mixture into 12, then use wet hands to roll into balls. Push the pepper pieces into the middle of the pan and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil around the outside. Drop in the meatballs and cook for 5 mins, or until golden and gnarly all over, turning and shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking.
- Scrunch in the tomatoes, adding three-quarters of a tin’s worth of water, then give everything a gentle stir and bring to the boil for a few mins. Finely grate over half the Parmesan, then bake in the oven for 20 mins or until bubbling.
- Dollop over the remaining pesto and grate over the remaining Parmesan to finish. Delicious served with freshly cooked pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread for dunking.
Tip: Jamie’s Mighty Meatball recipe is good for you, better for your pocket and better for the planet too, when you use a tin of green lentils with 250g lean beef steak mince, instead of using 500g of the same mince. The results proved that as well as being good for your pocket, Jamie's recipe reduces overall environmental impact, land use, water use and climate change impact*. Follow the link to find out more.
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze before cooking. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
See more Jamie Oliver recipes
For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
*Verify at tesco.com/life-cycle-summary-mince-lentil-recipe. Using our Lean Beef Steak Mince 5% Fat (250g) in this recipe with a tin of Green Lentils (390g) has a lower environmental impact than using our Lean Beef Steak Mince 5% Fat (500g). Green lentils in water are low in saturated fat. Reducing consumption of saturated fats contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Subbing out half the mince for a tin of lentils is cheaper than using 100% mince (Tesco Lean Beef Steak Mince 5% Fat 250G £2.19, v Tesco Green Lentils In Water 390G at £0.59.