Spaghetti and meatballs is a usual family favourite – most children love this type of recipe so it makes a good dish to make when friends come round to play. The meatballs and sauce are easy enough for children to make themselves with a little help. The meatballs can be served with any of your favourite pasta – spaghetti, tagliatelle or any type of pasta shape. Definitely one of our favourite Italian recipes around.
Ingredients
- For the meatballs
- 500g lean minced beef
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 handful fresh breadcrumbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 x 600g bottle Passata
- 2 tsp dried Oregano
- To Serve
- 400g spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley to serve.
Method
To make the meatballs
- Put the minced beef, garlic , breadcrumbs and salt and pepper into a bowl.
- Stir in the egg yolk and mix everything together very well.
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal sized balls.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy based frying pan, then add the meat balls and fry gently for 4 – 5 minutes until browned all over. Lift out the meatballs, drain well and set aside while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan.
- Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until softened but not brown.
- Stir in the passata and Oregano and add seasoning to taste.
- Add the meatballs, cover the pan and simmer for 40 – 45 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce thickened.
To cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for 10 – 12 minutes until tender but still “al dente” or according to the instructions on the pack. Drain very well.
- Serve the meatballs and tomato sauce with the pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Top tip for making Spaghetti and meatballs
Adding a teaspoon of sugar to the tomato sauce gives it a slight sweetness. Instead of using passata, try adding 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes instead – it’s a little cheaper and adds a little “bite” to the texture of the sauce.
