This is a simple recipe which can be created quite quickly. Everyone has their favourite meatball recipe – as usual I got my inspiration from a couple of Jamie Oliver recipes.
Meatballs
Ingredients
500 gms good quality minced beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large free range egg
2 tbls fresh breadcrumbs
Dash of Worcestershire sauce and/or a dash of HP brown sauce
1/2 tsp sambal oolek
A few sprigs of rosemary or thyme
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tbl olive oil
Method
Mix all the ingredients with the exception of the olive oil in a large bowl, making sure you break up all the lumps! If the mixture is too wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.The mixture should be firm enough to handle.
Roll the mixture into small balls – I like golf ball size meatballs, but you could go a little bigger if you wanted.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the meatballs for 8–10 minutes until brown. You can test that they’re cooked by opening one up – there should be no sign of pink. Remove from pan and set aside while you make the sauce.
Italian Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
1 tbl olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
A couple of tbs tomato paste or to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 glass red wine
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Using the frying pan from the meatballs, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic for a minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up gently to help them reduce into a sauce. Add all the other ingredients, stirring gently. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Pasta, Cheese and Basil
Ingredients
400 gms pappardelle
Shaved parmesan cheese
A few basil leaves
Method
Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
Putting it Together
Add the cooked meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the cooked pasta, reserving a tablespoon of cooking liquid to add to the tomato sauce.
Spoon the tomato sauce and meatballs over the pasta, and serve with shaved Parmesan and basil leaves.
The Quirk and the Cool 