Spaghetti & Meatballs
This is my mum’s spaghetti and meatballs and if you’ve ever been so lucky to eat them with her, you will hear them be introduced as our 100 year old family recipe.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 6 slices stale white bread sliced
- 1/2 cup milk
- 500 g beef mince
- 250 g pork mince
- 250 g lamb mince
- 1 cup pecorino romano grated
- 2 brown onions very finely diced
- 1/2 bunch parsley finely diced
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp flakey sea salt
Tomato & Basil Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 400g tinned tomatoes
- 4 tomatoes sliced and peeled
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- salt to taste
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
- 500 g spaghetti
Instructions
Meatballs
- Place the bread into a bowl and cover with the milk. Leave to sit until soft. Depending on how stale the bread you are using is, you may need the full cup of milk or only half.
- Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients really well, squeezing together to incorporate.
- Using roughly 1 tablespoon of the mixture, roll it into golf sized balls. Place onto a large tray, cover and leave to set in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. Begin making the sauce.
- In a fry pan on a medium - high heat, add 4 tablespoons olive oil and fry your meatballs for 2 minutes each side or until they are golden and caramalised. Fry the meatballs in batches so the pan does not overcrowd.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Follow the instructions on the back of the pasta packet for al dente pasta and drain your pasta 1 - 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Reserve up to 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the meatballs to the tomato and basil sauce, making sure ¾ of their body is submerged in the sauce. Leave to cook for 8 minutes on a low - medium heat.
- Take the meatballs out of the sauce and set to the side.
- On a low heat, stir the pasta through the sauce, slowly incorporating the pasta water until you have a smooth and glossy texture. Place the meatballs back into the pan with the sauce and spaghetti and finish off with a sprinkling of fresh basil and pecorino romano.
Tomato & Basil Sauce
- In a large deep fry pan, bring the olive oil to heat. Turn the heat down immediately, add the garlic and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until the garlic is slightly brown.
- In the same pan, combine the tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, water, a pinch of salt and pepper and ¾ of the basil. Bring to the boil then turn the heat all the way down and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, smash with the back of a spoon and place back into the sauce. Depending on the tinned tomatoes you are using, your sauce may need a little sweetness. Keep tasting your sauce as it cooks and add more salt, pepper or sugar if needed.
