Meat mains
Courgette-wrapped lamb sausages with tomato, basil and olive sauce
This is a lovely, succulent flavourful dish of spiced lamb mince wrapped in courgette strip, baked and served with a rich tomato sauce. You could also use aubergine instead of courgette. Eat this with couscous mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a little lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Ingredients
for the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 400g chopped tomatoes (or use deseeded fresh ones)
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- a few olives, sliced
- a few basil leaves, shredded
for the sausages
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 450g minced lamb
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2-3 courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- a few fresh oregano or thyme leaves
- olive oil, for drizzling
- salt and pepper
Method
To make the tomato sauce
-
Step 1
heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
-
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and sugar and season well. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir in the olives and basil at the very end.
Make the sausages
-
Step 1
while the tomato sauce is cooking. Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the onion until just softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two. Remove from the heat and place in a food processor with the lamb, chilli and cumin. Season and blitz to combine.
-
Step 2
Shape the mixture into small sausage shapes (the mixture should make 12). Wrap each sausage in a strip of courgette (or two, if the courgettes are small) and secure with a cocktail stick.
-
Step 3
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Place the sausages in a baking dish, sprinkle over a few oregano or thyme leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and just starting to brown. Serve with the tomato sauce.
