SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

Spaghetti & meatballs image

Get everyone to help rolling meatballs and you'll soon have one supper on the table and another in the freezer

Provided by Sarah Cook

Time 1h

Yield Makes about 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

8 good-quality pork sausages
1 kg beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
½ a large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
85g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve (optional)
100g fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten with a fork
olive oil, for roasting
spaghetti, to serve (about 100g per portion)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
125ml red wine (optional)
3 tbsp caster sugar
½ a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
few basil leaves (optional)

Steps:

First, make the meatballs. Split the skins of the sausages and squeeze out the meat into a large mixing bowl.
Add the mince, onion, parsley, parmesan, breadcrumbs, eggs and lots of seasoning. Get your hands in and mix together really well - the more you squeeze and mash the mince, the more tender the meatballs will be.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the mince mixture into about 50 golf-ball-sized meatballs. Set aside any meatballs for freezing, allowing about five per portion, then spread the rest out in a large roasting tin - the meatballs will brown better if spaced out a bit.
Drizzle with a little oil (about 1 tsp per portion), shake to coat, then roast for 20-30 mins until browned.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and sizzle for 1 min.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, if using, caster sugar, parsley and seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 mins until slightly thickened.
Stir in a few basil leaves, if using, spoon out any portions for freezing, then add the cooked meatballs to the pan to keep warm while you cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, salted water.
Spoon the sauce and meatballs over spaghetti, or stir them all together and serve with extra parmesan and a few basil leaves, if you like.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 870 calories, Fat 37 grams fat, SaturatedFat 13 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 95 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 13 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 46 grams protein, Sodium 1.3 milligram of sodium