Spaghetti and Meatballs

Well here is a simple recipe for spaghetti and meatballs that I have been cooking for years. There is no need to fry the meatballs before cooking them in the tomato sauce. You can even just cook the tomato sauce and have it on pasta, or you could add mince at the first stage after cooking the vegies and turn it into bolognese sauce.

Tomato Sauce

1/2 bottle of tomato passata, 1 cup water, 1/2 stalk celery, 1 medium carrot, 1/4-1/2 onion all finely diced, 1 sachet/1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram, herbs to finish 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.

In a large frypan saute for 2-3 minutes carrot, onion and celery in 2 tablespoons of oil. Push to one side add tomato paste stir 30 seconds, then stir into the vegetables. Add remaining ingredients, except fresh parsley. (You can make it to this stage early in the day, then just bring it back to the boil and add your meatballs) Bring to the boil add meatballs, reduce heat simmer, covered 15 - 20 minutes. Add parsley stir then serve.

Meatballs

500 grams mince beef, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic grated, salt and pepper, 1 slice bread torn into small pieces placed into a bowl with 1/4 cup milk or I discovered this one day when I didn't have any bread 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs mixed with 1/4 milk

Now I mix the bread/breadcrumbs with the milk first, so the milk can be absorbed. Place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add the milk/bread mixture (the bread may need to be squeezed if it hasn't absorbed all the milk). The best way to mix this is with your hands so you can squeeze the mixture together. Roll into golf ball size balls. You can make these ahead of time and keep in the fridge.

Now while I am preparing the sauce and meatballs I have the water coming to the boil for the pasta and I generally add the meatballs to the sauce the same time as I add the pasta to the water and the can cook at the same time.

To serve, drain pasta return it to the pot add 2-3 ladlefulls of the sauce, toss. You just need enough sauce to coat the pasta. Place some pasta in your bowls, place the meatballs on top drizzle some more sauce over meatballs and pasta. Top with freshly grated parmesan.

I hope you try this recipe, the bread milk mixture seems a odd addition but makes the meatballs very tender.