Lamb Patties with Tomato Salad
30 min
Juicy lamb patties ready in under 40 minutes — proper weeknight dinner with real flavour.
lambdinnerweeknight
Lamb meatballs spiced with cumin, paprika, and chili — tossed with penne and tomato sauce and finished with fresh coriander. Way better than the beef version.
Instructions
- 1
Mix together the ground lamb, garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and water until well combined, then shape into small meatballs.
- 2
Heat the margarine or oil in a frying pan over high heat and brown the meatballs quickly on all sides. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 6–8 minutes until cooked through.
- 3
Cut the peppers into chunky pieces and add them to the pan with the meatballs for the last few minutes of cooking.
- 4
Meanwhile, bring the tomato sauce to a boil in a separate pot.
- 5
Cook the penne according to the package instructions, drain, and stir it into the tomato sauce. Serve topped with fresh coriander.
Per average serving
831
Calories
kcal
34.7
Protein
g
100.3
Carbs
g
31.9
Fat
g
5.9g
Fiber
6.7g
Sugar
657mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
831
Calories
kcal
34.7
Protein
g
100.3
Carbs
g
31.9
Fat
g
5.9g
Fiber
6.7g
Sugar
657mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- The water in the meatball mix is doing real work here. It keeps the lamb from going dense and dry as it cooks. Don't skip it.
- Brown the meatballs on high heat and don't touch them for the first minute or two. You want a proper crust before you start rolling them around. If they stick, they're not ready to turn yet.
- Add the peppers in the last 3 minutes, not earlier. They should still have a little bite when you serve them. Soft, floppy peppers in pasta are a letdown.
- Stir the drained penne into the tomato sauce while both are still hot. Let it sit for a minute before plating so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce instead of just sitting in it.
- Tear the coriander over the top at the very end. It wilts fast and loses its punch if you add it while things are still on the heat.
Ways to vary it
- You can swap penne for rigatoni or any short pasta with ridges. They hold onto the sauce and work well with chunky meatballs.
- For more heat, add a pinch of chili flakes to the tomato sauce while it heats up. The chili powder in the meatballs gives a background warmth, but this adds a sharper edge if your household likes it spicy.
- If coriander is a hard no for someone at the table, flat-leaf parsley works fine. The dish reads differently but it's still good.
Storage & leftovers
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. The meatballs freeze fine on their own, but pasta that's been mixed into sauce gets a bit soft after freezing, so freeze them separately if you can. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
What to serve with it
A simple green salad on the side is enough. Some crusty bread to mop up the sauce is never a bad idea either.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 21 July 2026
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