The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
LEON's Free-range Sicilian Pork Meatballs & Pesto
Ease into your routine this New Year with Mindful Chef x LEON. Here, free-range British pork mince meets raisins, capers, sundried tomatoes and Italian cheese, to make the most flavourful meatballs. Then simmer in a garlicky tomato sauce. Serve over fluffy brown rice, and top with a generous dollop of green pesto. Unbelievably tasty!
High protein
5 plants
Serving size
Ingredients
- 40g baby spinach (use half)
- 390g chopped tomatoes (use half) (tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, acidity regulator (citric acid))
- 20g raisins (use half) (Raisins, Sunflower Oil)
- 150g free-range pork mince
- 4 garlic clove
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 110g baby tomatoes (use half)
- 40g sundried tomatoes (use half) (Sundried Tomato Halves [Sundried tomatoes 92-88% (Turkey), Salt 8-12% (Turkey), E330 (Citric Acid) 0.4 %, E300 (Ascorbic Acid) 0.35 %], Water, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Oregano, Salt)
- 11g chicken stock powder (use half) (Rice Flour, Yeast Extract (Yeast Extract, Salt), Potato Starch, Salt, Natural Flavouring, Chicken Meat Powder (Cooked Chicken Meat, Antioxidant: Extracts of Rosemary), Rapeseed Oil.)
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 20g italian hard cheese (use half) (Eggs, Milk) (cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, preservative (lysozyme protein from egg).)
- 80g brown rice (use half) (brown rice (100%))
- 10g capers (use half) (Water, Salt, Vinegar)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 824
Protein: 44g
Carbs: 61g
Fat: 43g
Ingredients
- 40g baby spinach
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 80g brown rice (brown rice (100%))
- 11g chicken stock powder (Rice Flour, Yeast Extract (Yeast Extract, Salt), Potato Starch, Salt, Natural Flavouring, Chicken Meat Powder (Cooked Chicken Meat, Antioxidant: Extracts of Rosemary), Rapeseed Oil.)
- 390g chopped tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, acidity regulator (citric acid))
- 20g italian hard cheese (Eggs, Milk) (cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, preservative (lysozyme protein from egg).)
- 300g free-range pork mince
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 110g baby tomatoes
- 20g raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil)
- 10g capers (Water, Salt, Vinegar)
- 40g sundried tomatoes (Sundried Tomato Halves [Sundried tomatoes 92-88% (Turkey), Salt 8-12% (Turkey), E330 (Citric Acid) 0.4 %, E300 (Ascorbic Acid) 0.35 %], Water, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Oregano, Salt)
- 4 garlic clove
Nutritional Information
Calories: 824
Protein: 44g
Carbs: 58g
Fat: 44g
LEON's Free-range Sicilian Pork Meatballs & Pesto
Ease into your routine this New Year with Mindful Chef x LEON. Here, free-range British pork mince meets raisins, capers, sundried tomatoes and Italian cheese, to make the most flavourful meatballs. Then simmer in a garlicky tomato sauce. Serve over fluffy brown rice, and top with a generous dollop of green pesto. Unbelievably tasty!
Getting hungry?
Find 56 recipes a week just like this one at Mindful Chef, that are all:
Delicious, high quality food - and lots of it
No stodgy refined carbs - no food comas here
Goodness from natural food - full of fibre
Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a grater, a large non-stick frying pan, a large mixing bowl, a small mixing bowl, a measuring jug, a grater & a sieve
Cook the rice & toast the fennel seeds
- Add the rice to the saucepan and boil for 25-30 mins, until cooked, then drain
- Heat the dry large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the fennel seeds to the pan and toast for 1-2 mins, stirring frequently
- Remove from the pan and set aside to cool in the large mixing bowl
Shape the meatballs
- Finely chop the raisins, capers and sundried tomatoes. Finely grate the hard Italian cheese
- Add the pork mince, raisins, capers, half the cheese and half the sundried tomatoes to the mixing bowl with the seeds, and season with a generous pinch of salt
- Mix well, and shape into 10 meatballs
Cook the meatballs
- Reheat the large pan with 2 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook for 5 mins, until golden brown all over
- Remove from the pan and set aside
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic. Halve the tomatoes
Build the dish
- Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 1-2 mins
- Add the remaining sundried tomatoes and cook for 30 secs before adding the chopped tomatoes, stock powder and 150ml water (125ml for 1 person)
- Bring to the boil, return the meatballs to the pan, then simmer for 14 mins, until cooked through. Add a splash of water if needed. Season with salt and pepper
- Check your pork meatballs are cooked through; the meat should be white with the juices running clear
Make the pesto & plate up
- Meanwhile, finely chop one-third of the spinach
- Add to the small mixing bowl with the pesto, 1 tbsp of oil and the remaining cheese. Mix together well
- Stir the remaining spinach into the sauce to wilt
- Serve the rice topped with the meatballs, tomato sauce and pesto
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get delicious seasonal inspiration and recipes, plus 25% off your first 4 boxes with us!
By signing up to our mailing list you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.