This is a meal comprising of all my favourite flavours; sweet, creamy, fresh with a helping of cheese. The sweetness from the meatballs works perfectly with the creamy pasta, all balanced out with the zesty lemon. By using créme fraîche instead of cream, it also makes it a bit healthier so you can enjoy an even bigger portion. Because that's how it works.

Serves: 2-3

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 400g Caramelised Onion Sausages
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 250g Orzo
• 50ml White Wine
• 500ml Chicken Stock
• 1 Lemon Zest
• Thyme
• 2-3 tbsp Créme Fraîche
• 25g Parmesan
• S&P
• Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Start off by making the meatballs, removing all the sausage meat from the casing and putting in a bowl with 1 tsp chopped thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Combine the mixture together with your hands and begin forming into balls. There should be about enough to make 12-14 medium size balls.
4. Heat a dash of olive oil in a deep pan and begin adding the meatballs on a medium heat. Turn every so often so they are beginning to go golden brown on each size, frying for a total of ~ 10 minutes.
5. Foil a baking tray and place the meatballs on the tray before putting in the oven for ~25 - 30 minutes, until all golden.
6. Meanwhile, it's time to make the orzo. Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
7. Return the pan that the meatballs were fried in onto the heat and add the onions to begin softening for 5 minutes before adding the garlic. Make the chicken stock up in the meantime.
8. Once golden, add the orzo and sautée for a couple of minutes before adding the wine. Once this has been absorbed, add the chicken stock with a few sprigs of thyme.
9. Leave to cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
10. Finely chop 1 tsp thyme and zest the lemon, adding to the orzo along with 2 tbsp créme fraîche, parmesan, and seasoning after the 10 minutes is up, cooking for a further 5 minutes while stirring everything through.
11. Taste test and cook until al dente, adding a little more water if necessary, and the final tbsp of créme fraîche if you would like it a little richer, completely up to your preference.
12. Once everything is cooked, stir the meatballs through, serve with an extra grating of parmesan and plenty of pepper.

Serving note: Serve with a glass of vino listening to Joy Crookes in the sun.