Sometimes you just can’t beat a classic. Tonight’s classic was Spaghetti and Meatballs. It’s been raining all day and I did my best to make some comfort food without venturing out into the bad weather. Soo I had to make do with some frozen ground pork. Other items I always have in my cupboard are canned tomatoes, garlic, onions, pasta and Parmesan cheese. I know pork isn’t a traditional choice for meatballs, but it can be quite lean.
A simple recipe for tomato sauce is garlic, onion and a can of chopped tomatoes. But if you have it it’s always nice to add in carrots, celery and some bay leaves. Sometimes I feel like a chunky sauce but today I wanted one a but smoother.
If you have a small chopper, blitz one carrot and one stalk of celery. Finely chop a small onion and a few cloves of garlic. Heat a large deep frying pan (with lid). Soften the onion in some olive oil for a minute or two. Add the vegetables and garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Crumble a couple beef stock cubes and a pinch of mixed Italian herbs. Add in two cans of chopped tomatoes. Add a pinch of sugar, pinch of salt and a bay leaf. If you have fresh thyme, add a few sprigs. And if you like spice, add some dried red pepper flakes. Let simmer on low heat for a half hour or so. Remember to taste and add more sugar if it’s too tangy!
Meanwhile, add a couple tablespoons of bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of milk, pinch of salt and crumble a beef stock cube. Crack two eggs and add the pork (about 500 grams or 1.1 lbs). Sprinkle some more salt or garlic salt if you have it and some black pepper. Get your hands messy and combine the mixture well. It should be pretty wet. Make small meatballs and pop them into the pan of tomato sauce. Once you’re done, slowly turn each of the meatballs and let them all simmer for another 25-30 minutes.
Cook some spaghetti al dente and add straight to a plate. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, spoon over sauce and meatballs and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese!
** I have to admit these were the softest and moistest meatballs I’ve ever made! And yet they held their shape too. Think this recipe might have to come back!
