This is one of my ‘go to’ dishes when I need to cook a hearty meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I can have this dish on the table in 15 minutes from start to finish.
Although it’s not made the traditional way, my version of spaghetti and meatballs is just as tasty, but a whole lot easier and faster to make. Anyone eating it will think you’ve spent hours slaving over a hot stove.
The key to achieving a great taste with this dish is to use the best quality ingredients you can afford. I use Australian 100% free range pork sausages made using only high quality meat and spices (no additives or fillers), and vine ripened fresh tomatoes when that are in season, or organic tinned tomatoes.
What you need
- 1 pkt spaghetti
- 8 pork chipolatas (small pork sausages) – 100% free range pork
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove- crushed
- 6 very ripe Roma tomatoes – skin removed and chopped – or 400g tinned organic tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons shredded basil
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
What to do
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
In the meantime, squeeze the filling out from each sausage and roll into 3 meatballs. Place on a plate and sprinkle all over with fennel seeds.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Add a few meatballs to the pan and cook until they brown on the outside (6 – 8 minutes). Repeat until all the meatballs are cooked. Remove from the pan and put aside. What is left on the bottom of the pan is ‘taste’, so don’t discard it. We are going to use it to make the sauce shortly.
With the pot of water on rapid boil, add 2 teaspoons of salt then add the spaghetti and stir for 30 seconds to avoid the spaghetti sticking together. Boil for 10 -11 minutes (or follow instructions on the packet).
While the spaghetti is boiling, resume making the sauce by turning down the heat under the pan to low and add the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to break them up. Add ½ cup of water to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Add the meatballs and any juices and stir through. Then add the shredded basil and toss again.
When the spaghetti has cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add a third of the meatballs and sauce to the spaghetti and toss. Turn the spaghetti out into a large serving bowl and top with remaining meatballs and sauce. Add a little grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately with a fresh salad and crusty bread.
When I made this dish the other night, I added a few sprigs of fresh fennel I had in my fridge for a extra boost of flavour and served it with my fresh ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD.
Bon appetit!
TIP: One way to remove the skin from tomatoes is to drop them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then drop them into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes. You will then be able to peek the skin off easily.
Meatballs and Muffins 