With a rich tomato sauce and little bombs of ricotta, these delicious veggie balls are best served with couscous, rice or stuffed into pitta breads with salad.

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jamies top tip

This is a great way of using up leftover COOKED bulgur wheat, if you have it.

Baked veggie balls in sweet tomato sauceServes 6 | 2 hours, plus resting

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Recipe Jamie Oliver. Photo David Loftus

Ingredients100g bulgur wheat

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 stalk of celery

1 carrot

olive oil

a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

1 large free-range egg

50g wholemeal breadcrumbs

1 lemon

30g Parmesan cheese

2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes

2 large jarred red peppers

60g ricotta cheese

EquipmentLarge saucepan with lid (25cm)

Sieve

Wooden spoon

Chopping board

Knife

Food processor (standard blade)

Large ovenproof non-stick frying pan (30cm)

Measuring spoons

Weighing scales

Tin opener

Large mixing bowl

Microplane

Tray

Clingfilm

Half-fill a large saucepan with cold water, add the bulgur wheat and leave to soak for 20 minutes.

When the times up, drain over the sink through a sieve and rinse well.

Tip the bulgur wheat back into the pan and fill it three-quarters of the way up with cold water and add a tiny pinch of salt.

Bring to the boil, pop the lid on, then reduce to a low heat for around 20 minutes, or until cooked through but still with a bit of bite, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile

Peel the onion and 1 clove of garlic and trim the celery and carrot. Roughly chop and place into the processor, then blitz until finely chopped.

Place a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Once hot, carefully add the chopped vegetable mixture and fry for 12 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Once the bulgur wheat is cooked, drain over the sink through a sieve and leave to cool. Meanwhile

Pick the parsley leaves and put to one side, then roughly chop the stalks. Place the stalks and most of the leaves into the processor.

Drain the chickpeas over the sink into a sieve, then add to the processor.

Crack in the egg and add the breadcrumbs and half of the cooled bulgur, then blitz to a rough paste.

Tip into a large bowl with the cooked vegetables and the remaining bulgur.

Use a microplane to grate the lemon zest and Parmesan, then add it to the bowl.

Season with a pinch of pepper and mix well with your hands until smooth.

Recipe Jamie Oliver. Photo David Loftus

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Divide and roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized balls, placing them on a tray as you go you should end up with 24 in total.

Cover the tray with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.

Peel and finely chop the remaining 2 cloves of garlic.

Return the large ovenproof frying pan to a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden.

Add the tomatoes and a tin of water, carefully break the tomatoes up with the back of a wooden spoon, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Cut the lemon in half.

Squeeze in the juice from 1 half, using your fingers to catch the pips.

Once the veggie balls are firm, remove from the fridge. Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Once hot, carefully add the veggie balls and cook for around 8 minutes, or until browned all over, turning occasionally.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the veggie balls to the tomato sauce.

Tear the red peppers into strips with your fingers, then arrange in the sauce.

Season the sauce to taste and dot over the ricotta.

Using oven gloves, carefully place the pan in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a scattering of parsley leaves and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

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Baked veggie balls in sweet tomato sauce