Spaghetti & Meatballs
Cook Time: ~25 Minutes
Everyone has a recipe for a classic spaghetti & meatballs; here’s mine. The secret ingredients for the meatballs include a dash of ground fennel seed and a meat mixture comprised of ground beef and peppery, fatty, and nutty mortadella. The sauce is my take on a classic marinara, with red wine added for greater depth of flavour. I usually make this dish for two, with leftovers in mind, so this portion size should serve 4 to 6 people.
Serves: 4-6
Prep: ~10 minutes
Cook: ~20 minutes
Ingredients
Meatballs
Ground beef mince (500g)
Mortadella (~125g)
Chilli flakes (2 tsp)
Ground fennel seed (1 tsp)
Bread crumbs (~40g)
Parmesan (~50g, plus extra for serving)
One egg
A bunch of flat-leaf parsley (~25g)
Two garlic cloves
Salt & black pepper
Olive oil
Sauce
Two cans of chopped tomatoes (800g)
Spaghetti (500g)
Red wine (125ml)
A bunch of basil (~25g)
Tomato paste (1 tbsp)
Dried oregano (1 tsp)
Three garlic cloves
One bay leaf
One small white onion
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & black pepper
Notes
Mortadella: Having a pork flavour in the meatballs is a game changer and mortadella adds a perfect peppery and fatty flavour. In a pinch, you could substitute it for sound-quality pork sausage meat.
Anchovies: For those who want more of a salty kick to their sauce, I recommend adding ~4 to 6 diced anchovy fillets along with some of the oil. This will a new dimension to the sauce, and no, it won’t make it taste like fish.
Equipment
Large pot
Large pan
Large mixing bowl
Mise En Place
Dice the onion finely.
For the meatballs, combine ground beef, diced mortadella, ~15g of chopped parsley, two grated garlic cloves, an egg, bread crumbs, grated parmesan, a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds, chilli flakes, salt, and ground black pepper.
The Cook
Start by thoroughly mixing the meatball mix with your hands; spend a few minutes squishing the ingredients together as best you can. Once formed, carefully shape the mix into round balls; I can usually yield 18 to 20 meatballs.
Apply two tablespoons of olive oil to a pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and carefully brown them. This should take ~6 minutes. Once browned, remove from the pan and rest on a chopping board; don’t worry if they are not cooked through.
In the same pan, add your diced onions and let cook for ~3 minutes until they soak up the meatball fat and take on the flavour and colour. Add chopped tomatoes, oregano, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, three cloves of grated garlic, tomato paste, a bay leaf, and 125ml of red wine. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and reintroduce the meatballs, as well as a bunch of ripped basil (~20g) and a sprinkle of parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and let simmer for ~12 minutes.
While that simmers, add your spaghetti to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente. This will take 10 to 12 minutes depending on the instructions on the packaging. Once the pasta is cooked, grab a set of tongs and lift the pasta directly from the water and into the sauce. Allowing some of the pasta water to drip into the sauce is perfectly fine and desirable. Before doing so, ensure you taste the sauce and season appropriately. Mix the pasta in with the sauce until coated.
To serve, twirl the pasta around the tongs and place it into a bowl, followed by several handpicked meatballs, and a spoon of extra sauce. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley, a few basil leaves, ground black pepper, and a healthy lashing of grated parmesan. Enjoy.
If you attempt this dish, let me know how it goes, and if you variate the recipe in any way. This newsletter relies upon word of mouth, so if you know someone who would enjoy this recipe please share it.
Thanks for reading,
Conor