Pork Meatballs in a Lemony Cream Sauce with Pasta

Cut the rind and most of the fat off the pork and mince or let your butcher do this.

Chop the thyme and add to the pork mince along with the grated rind of one lemon and a couple of handfuls of breadcrumbs. Then add the yolks of two eggs along with two teaspoonfuls of salt and a good amount of fresh black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork so all the ingredients are equally distributed.

Use your hands to make the pork mixture into sixteen meatballs  Picture  . Cover the meatballs lightly with flour and brown all over in some olive oil in a saute or frying pan. Take them out and put to one side. Meanwhile cut out the seeds and pith from one chilli and finely chop, and chop the oregano to deliver a good handful.

Cut the bacon into thin lardons, add to a new pan and fry until nicely brown. Take the pan off the heat, pour the cream over the bacon, add the chilli and oregano and the grated rind of one lemon. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and season well with salt and fresh black pepper.

Add the meatballs to the cream sauce, cover, simmer for about ten minutes and put to one side until you are ready.

Cook the pasta in a saucepan in boiling water until just done, probably about twelve minutes. Meanwhile rewarm the meatballs and sauce over a medium heat. When done, drain the pasta in a colinder and put back into the saucepan, stir in a splash of olive oil and season with a pinch or two of salt.

Put the pasta on to serving dishes, spoon over some meatballs and sauce, grate over a little parmesan and serve  Zoom   along with a grater and some more parmesan if required.