MEATBALLS AND PASTA

As common as meatballs and pasta is, believe it or not, I never had it before. I’m not sure why. Most importantly though I’ve tried it now and made the meatballs from scratch too lol! Thanks to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution 😉

MEATBALLS AND PASTA (4 servings)

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (pick the leaves and finely chop)
12 cream or plain crackers (mashed into fine pieces)
2 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
1 large egg
Handful of fresh basil (pick the leaves)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 fresh red chili (finely chopped)
2 x 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 lb dried spaghetti or penne (cooked according to the instructions on package)
Parmesan cheese for grating
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

PREPARING MEATBALLS:

1. Mix meat, mustard, rosemary and oregano in a bowl. Crack in the egg and season with dash of salt and pepper. Mix well with your cleaned hands. Divide into 4 large balls

2. With wet hands, divide each ball into 6 and roll into little meatballs and you will have about 24 meatballs. Drizzle with olive oil and jiggle them about so they all get coated. Put them on a plate, cover, and place in the refrigerator until needed

COOKING METHOD:

1. In a large pan, add 2 lugs of olive oil. Saute onion for about 7 minutes until lightly golden. Add in garlic and chili, as soon as they start to get some color, add the basil leaves. Add the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to boil and season to taste. Turn off the heat

2. In another pan, heat up some olive oil and add in meatballs. Stir them around and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden (check they’re cooked by opening one up- there should be no sign of pink)

3. Add the meatballs to the sauce pan and bring the heat back up and let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes

4. In a large serving platter, add in some of the sauce to the cooked pasta and toss. Add in the rest of the sauce and meatballs. Add some grated Parmesan