Spaghetti & Meatballs

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 medium-sized onion, grated
1 slice of white bread, cut into 2cm squares
500 g regular beef mince
1 large egg
1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Olive oil, for frying

For the Arrabiata Sauce:
4 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
700 g Passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

500 g spaghetti, prepared as per package instructions
50g Parmesan, for serving
Fresh basil, for garnish

Method
For the meatballs:
Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix well.
Shape the meatball mixture to form a ball, and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Fry the meatballs in batches until browned but not cooked through.
Transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
Complete with the remaining meatballs.

For the arrabbiata sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the onions and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden.
Add the passata, tomato paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and allow the sauce to reach a simmer before lowering the heat.
Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 40 minutes over low heat.
Add the basil leaves to the sauce during the last 15 minutes.
Add extra salt and pepper as needed.
Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover the pan, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Prepare the spaghetti as per the package instructions.

Assemble
Add spaghetti to a pasta bow, top with the delicious pasta sauce and meatballs. Garnish with parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!