Traditional Spaghetti & Meatballs
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4-5 people
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 600g/21.2ozs crushed tinned tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
- 250g/8.83ozs minced veal
- 250g/8.83ozs minced pork
- 200g/8.83ozs minced bacon
- 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 500g/1 lb Woolworths Gold spaghetti
- Grated reggiano cheese to serve
Step 1 - Start on making the tomato sauce for the meatballs as that takes a while. Fry the garlic and onion on medium heat in a large cast iron pot until fragrant. Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for one and a half to two hours until it becomes reduced. Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste until you get a nice balance of flavours.
Step 2 - Meanwhile make the meatballs. Process the veal, pork and bacon in a food processor along with the breadcrumbs, cheese and egg. Add some salt and pepper and oregano. Heat a little in a frypan and taste it for flavour and seasoning adding more if necessary.
Step 3 - Once the sauce is ready, dunk the meatballs in the sauce and simmer gently for 30 minutes turning over once or twice to coat all of the sides of the meatballs.
Step 4 - While the meatballs are cooking, boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water but cooking it for 1 minute less than it needs to be cooked. Once it is ready and the meatballs are cooked, remove the meatballs. Add the spaghetti to the big pot and coat the strands of pasta with the sauce. Ladle onto a serving plate and add the meatballs on top. Serve with grated reggiano cheese.