Spaghetti with Meatballs
This is just one of those things that is proper comfort food, easy to cook and whilst we wouldn’t dream to suggest this is Italian cooking or that it is authentic, it is absolutely delicious!
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 878kcal
Ingredients
- 400 g Spaghetti
- 500 g Minced Beef
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 30 g Breadcrumbs
- 50 g Parmesan Cheese finely grated (set 25g aside for serving)
- 1 Egg
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1 White Onion finely chopped
- 800 g Chopped Tomatoes that's 2 tins to most of us!
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 small Bunch Basil
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil old slag, save extra virgin for dressings!
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- In a large bowl mix the beef with the parsley, parmesan cheese, the breadcrumbs, the finely chopped garlic, the salt, chilli flakes and the egg. When the mixture has just come together shape into 16 balls
- In a pan big enough to take the meatballs in a single layer (and later the sauce) heat the oil and, when hot, add the meatballs. Cook for about 10 minutes until the meatballs are browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan carefully (don't worry, they'll finish cooking a bit later) and set them aside
Make the sauce
- Add the onion to the pan you just took the meatballs out of. Soften over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the bayleaf. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Carefully put the meatballs back into the sauce and simmer gently until the sauce has thickened. That'll take about 10 minutes and gives you just the right time to cook the spaghetti
Cook the Spaghetti
- In a large pot of boiling very well salted water, (it should almost be as salty as sea water) cook the spaghetti for one minute less than the instructions say. Drain
Bring it all together!
- Serve the spaghetti in large pasta bowls (or whatever you have that can take the sauce along with the meatballs and spaghetti). Top the spaghetti with the meatballs and sauce, a leaf or two of basil and with the parmesan cheese you set aside earlier sprinkled over the top. Enjoy with a large glass of red!
Nutrition
Calories: 878kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1078mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 573IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 6mg