Soak the dried breadcrumbs in a little water or milk just to rehydrate them for 5 minutes. Trim and finely slice the spring onions. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Finely chop the herb leaves. Place half the sliced spring onions in a food processor with 1 of the sliced garlic cloves, the drained breadcrumbs, half the chopped herbs and the minced meat. Finely grate in the lemon zest, season generously with salt and pepper and blitz until it all comes together (you can of course do this by hand and mix well in a bowl). Roll the mixture into small meatballs, around 2.5cm. Set a large casserole over a medium heat, drizzle in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the meatballs for around 10 minutes, turning, until browned all over.

When the meatballs are browned and gnarly, pour the stock into the pan, bring to the boil and stir in the pasta and peas. Return to the boil, then simmer for 5–7 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Remove from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed. Finish by stirring in the remaining herbs and spring onions and serve in warmed bowls, finely grating over the pecorino or Parmesan, if using.