This week, I resurrected one of the Teen’s favourite dinners from when she was a tot. Not only did she like the dish for its flavour but because it always involved singing too. How can you have spaghetti without belting out…

On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed
It rolled in the garden and onto the floor
And then my poor meatball, it rolled out the door
It rolled in the garden and under a bush
And then my poor meatball was nothing but…
MUSH…

I dreaded making this dish as I found the preparation sooooooo tedious. That was then. Originally, I hand-rolled each and every meatball, coated each in flour and pan fried each and every one of them before adding them to the sauce. One day, my pal Jimmy, who’s a chef, guided me towards making this a far easier meal to make. Using a small ice cream scoop cuts out work and makes the meatballs the same size. Baking them in the oven on a tray takes out even more of the work and more importantly, with no added oil, removes the frying aspect of the dish. Once the process got easier, the Teen asked for it even more! Eh…thanks, Jimmy… 🙂

For us, Spaghetti and Meatballs remains a fun dish full of nostalgia and it’s a great dish when cooking for pals. This recipe feeds 4-6 and is well received by young and those who like to remember being young.  It also remains a very tasty dish where spaghetti can be swapped for different shaped pasta or, dare I say it, rice?!?! There is a kick to this recipe as it contains chilli. If you don’t want it spicy, simply ditch the chilli!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 heaped tablespoon of flour
3 fluid ounces of good quality beef stock
1 heaped tablespoon, tomato puree
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped finely
1 tablespoon basil, chopped finely
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Salt and ground pepper to season

Meatballs
2lbs minced beef
1 small onion, chopped as finely as possible
1 heaped cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
Good shake of dried parsley
Salt and Pepper

To serve
Cooked pasta
Grated cheese

Method
1. Preheat the oven at 180C
2. To make the meatballs, blend all the ingredients together
3. With a small ice cream scoop, shape the mince mixture into walnut size pieces and place on a baking tray
4. When the oven is heated, place the baking tray in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes
5. For the sauce, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan
6. Add the onion and cover with a lid, allowing the onion to cook until soft (for about 5 minutes)
7. Add the garlic (and chilli) and cook for another two minutes
8. Add the flour and allow to cook for a minute
9. Add the stock in three stages, making sure to blend it with the flour, onion and garlic mix
10. Blend in the tomato puree and then sprinkle in the herbs
11. After adding the tins of tomatoes to the mix, season with salt and black pepper
12. Allow to simmer
13. Place in a blender and blitz for about one minute until smooth
14. Return to the pot and heat through
15. Add the meatballs and cover with the sauce
16. Place the lid on the saucepan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
17. Serve with spaghetti or pasta shapes of your choice and a big handle of grated cheese
18. And sing…!