Spaghetti and meatballs
Comfort food at it's finest. A family-favourite dinner, this spaghetti and meatballs dish one that is not only delicious but a complete joy to eat! This recipe makes sure that the meatballs are nothing short of flavour!
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Servings: 5 -6 people
Calories: 687kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g /1 lbs fatty beef mince (note 1)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs substitute: normal breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ onion grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Marinara
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups passata
- 1 cup stock beef or chicken
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt adjust depending on saltiness of stock used
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To serve
- 400 g /14oz dried spaghetti
- fresh basil leaves optional
- freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
Making the meatballs
- In a medium-large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix with one hand until just combined. (note 2)
- With both hands, shape the meatballs to about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger. Makes about 14-15.
- Place meatballs into a large non-stick pan or lightly oiled skillet. Sear on medium-high heat. (note 3 for oven method)
- Once brown (about 5-6 minutes), turn the meatballs with a pair of tongs and brown the other side then remove from the pan.
Making meatball marinara
- In a heavy-based pot, add olive oil and onions. Cook on medium-low heat until onions have turned soft. This will take about 6-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and stir through until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add remaining marinara ingredients into the pot and turn the heat up to high and bring to boil.
- Gently add meatballs into the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat and no lid. Stirring every 10 minutes. (note 4)
To serve
- With 10 minutes before meatball marinara is ready, cook spaghetti according to packet instructions.
- Place spaghetti onto a serving plate and top with 3 to 4 meatballs with marinara sauce per serve.
- optional: sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Note 1. Fatty beef mince (ground beef) is used in this recipe. But feel free to get creative! Mix things up: pork and veal is a popular combo or half beef mince and half sausage mince will be awesome too.
Note 2. Mix till just combined, do not over mix the meatballs. Be careful not to over mix! This will toughen the meat and you'll end up with meatballs on the dense side. Form the balls quickly with your hands and avoid handling it too much.
Note 3. Optional oven method: skip the pan-searing instructions and evenly spread the meatballs apart on a lined baking tray and grill/broil on high for about 5 - 10 minutes. This will give the meatballs a nice colour otherwise achievable through pan-searing.
Note 4. Taste and adjust for seasoning stocks have varying levels of saltiness. Before adding salt in this step, mix then taste the sauce and make changes to the amount of salt to add where necessary for your preference.
Freezer friendly keeps well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!
Nutrition
Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 82.4g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.6g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Potassium: 773mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 8.1g | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 7mg