Spaghetti and meatballs is an easy, tasty weeknight staple
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
200g beef mince
200g pork mince
1 slice stale crusty bread
100ml milk
½ medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
1 handful freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for serving
1 egg
2 tbsp plain flour
salt and pepper, to taste
For the tomato sauce:
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
75ml red wine
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato purée
salt and pepper, to taste
cooked spaghetti and grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Method:
To make the meatballs, tear up the stale bread and place into a bowl with the milk. Allow to absorb and soften. Place the diced onion into a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Chop the garlic and chilli and add to the onion. Fry the mixture until soft and place into a bowl to cool.
Place the beef and pork mince into a large mixing bowl. Add in the cooled onion mix, parsley, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze the softened bread to remove the excess milk and add to the bowl. Use your hands to combine well.
Dust your hands with the flour and create a golf-ball-sized meatball. Place on a tray and repeat with the rest of the mixture. To cook, place a drizzle of olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for a few minutes, until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Using the same pan, make the tomato sauce. Add in a touch more olive oil and the chopped onion and garlic. Fry until soft. Deglaze the bottom of the pan by adding in the red wine and stir to remove the sticky goodness. Add in the tinned tomatoes, sugar, oregano and tomato purée. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes.
Add in the meatballs and allow to simmer in the sauce for around 10 min so that they cook through. Serve the meatballs stirred through cooked spaghetti and finish off with some chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
© Times of U