Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious healthy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade Italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth!

My mum's meatballs are one of my favorite things ever, but I know sicilian cuisine pretty well, and let me tell you it's not a light one.

So, I've decided to give a healthier twist to this traditional dish, swapping beef with cod fish and adding a few more aromatic herbs instead of cheese, for an extra burst of flavor.

Cod and swordfish are the most common fish consumed in Sicily.

Known for its great nutritional properties, cod is cheap and has wonderful and versatile meaty flesh, making it a fantastic alternative to beef.

It's an excellent low-calorie source of protein and vitamin B12 ( very important for our heart health), and can be bought and consumed fresh, frozen, smoked or salted - for this recipe I've used fresh steamed cod fillets, but you can, of course, use a frozen alternative.

Making these delicious cod meatballs is such a breeze and takes less than 30 mins start-to-finish.

All you need is 8 simple ingredients: fresh cod fillets, free-range egg whites, whole wheat/plain/gluten-free flour, lemon zest, panko breadcrumbs, spring onions, fresh aromatic herbs and of course freshly cooked Italian tomato sauce.

The recipe is easy-to-follow and totally stress-free.

Start by mixing together all the meatballs ingredients in a large bowl.  

Taste the mix before adding egg whites. Add more herbs if you like. If it’s a bit dry, add a splash of olive oil. If it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Then shape the mixture into small balls (slightly bigger than golf ball size), and gently roll them into flour.

Sizzle the meatballs in a hot pan with some extra virgin olive oil, they don't need much cooking, so just stir fry them until crispy and golden brown.

Once meatballs are ready, drain the pan from oil in excess, add in some homemade tomato sauce ( I usually make a big batch the day before and freeze the excess), and gently cook for a further 5 mins until piping hot.

These tasty cod meatballs are fork tender and have an irresistible texture that flakes off in the mouth.

Light, citrusy and deeply aromatic, they make a great starter or main course on their own, but are also fantastic tossed with pasta or in a sandwich. However you enjoy them, I'm sure you're gonna love this recipe!

MORE SICILIAN RECIPES TO TRY

• Sicilian Caponata - Aubergine Stew
• Mushroom Arancini, Sicilian Rice Balls
• Shrimp Linguine - Authentic Italian Recipe
• Sicilian Pasta alla Norma
• Easy Clementine Cake
• Sicilian Lemon Granita

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Recipe

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Sicilian Cod Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

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Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious heathy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Serving: 4

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Andrea Soranidis

Ingredients

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• 400 g fresh cod fillets, steamed
• 4 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• handful of fresh basil and oregano leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoon flour, rice, wholemeal or plain, for coating
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups homemade tomato sauce

Instructions

• In a large bow fold in the fish together with panko, basil and oregano, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until roughly combined. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and grate over a good bit of zest.
• Taste the mixture and add more panko or a litte oil if too wet or too dry. Finally fold in egg whites and mix until combined through.
• Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and gently roll them over a little flour.
• Heat a large pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Sizzle the meatballs for a few mins, until crispy and golden brown.
• Remove the oil in excess and fold in previously made tomato sauce. Cook over low-med heat for a further 5 mins.
• Scatter basil leaves over the top, a glug of olive oil and some extra freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
• Enjoy on their own, with toasted bread or toss in with pasta.

Notes

To make this recipe 100% gluten-free make sure you use a suitable panko breadcrumbs brand, or make your own breadcrumbs with gluten-free bread.

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Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.