Meatballs with spaghetti

Meatballs with spaghetti

Cookery and wine writer, Fiona Beckett, shares one of her family's favourite recipes

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 45 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Cut through the skin of each sausage and pull them off. Put the sausage meat into a large bowl with the mince. Add half the garlic, half the parsley, the breadcrumbs and egg, and mix well. Season generously with pepper and a little salt, and mix again.
  2. Sprinkle a chopping board with flour. Scoop out level dessertspoons of the mix, dip them in the flour and roll them into balls. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan or wok, then fry the meatballs in batches, browning them on all sides. Set aside on a plate. When you've fried all the meatballs, pour away any excess fat. Rinse and dry the pan.
  3. Pour the remaining oil into the pan, heat for 1 min then add the remaining garlic and fry for a few seconds. Tip in the tomatoes and break them down with a fork or wooden spoon. Cook over a moderately high heat for 5 mins until jammy. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar.
  4. Tip in the meatballs and turn them over in the sauce, ensuring they're all covered. Cover the pan and cook the meatballs on a low heat for about 30 mins, spoon over the sauce occasionally and add a little water if it's becoming too dry. 15 mins before the end of the cooking time, cook the spaghetti. To serve, stir most of the remaining parsley into the sauce then spoon the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti. Scatter with last of the parsley and serve Parmesan on the side.
Try

Make it different

If your family like stronger flavours, use spicy sausages or add 1 tsp paprika to the meat mix. You could also add 8-10 finely chopped green olives. Add ½ tsp paprika to the sauce, too. This is also good served with couscous. You can make double the amount of meatballs and freeze them.

PER SERVING

791 kcalories, protein 41.0g, carbohydrate 77.0g, fat 38.0 g, saturated fat 12.0g, fibre 4.0g, sugar 7.0g, salt 1.4 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Nex

    21 March 2011

    Nex rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Was quite tasty. Took me pretty long though. About 2 hours. The recipe doesn't state what type of sausages to use. I used beef, since all the ready meatballs in the supermarket contained beef only. Not sure if pork is acceptable here.

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  • Binder photo clive2442

    22 March 2011

    clive2442 commented on this recipe

    My whole family loved this meal, the only change I made was I added oregano to the meatballs. I will make again and again !!!

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  • Binder photo clive2442

    22 March 2011

    clive2442 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I used pork sausage meat and I found it was great, the meatballs ware so tender and tasty. The sauce I added a red wine reduction instead of sugar and it worked really well.

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  • Binder photo Kuifke

    30 March 2011

    Kuifke rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I specially liked this one. It's a kind of Spaghetti Bolognese. But in an original package. Very good

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  • Binder photo julie

    03 April 2011

    julie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made today for dinner at my mum,s and they tasted great and so easy to do.

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  • Binder photo Beth

    08 April 2011

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very good. I used pork sausages the extra fat in them makes tastier meatballs because of the extra fat. Didn't read the recipe and put all four cloves of garlic in the meatballs but they didn't taste too garlicy and were very nice.

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  • Binder photo Dave H

    28 January 2012

    Dave H rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Double up on the garlic, great dish; if reheating more liquid needed we used red wine.

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  • Binder photo honeybee

    30 January 2012

    honeybee rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very tasty and easily adapted. Used butcher's pork and herb sausages (only 6 as they were quite big). I agree they seemed to take a long time, but there are only 2 of us so have two more dinners in the freezer. Next time will try more garlic.

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  • Binder photo bielka

    20 February 2012

    bielka rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Fluffy

    05 March 2012

    Fluffy rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Iri

    26 April 2012

    Iri rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Catherine79

    05 May 2012

    Catherine79 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really tasty. Would definitely make again.

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  • Binder photo Orla

    23 June 2012

    Orla rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo kimkap

    18 July 2012

    kimkap rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very simple to make with a very happy and delicious outcome. I was talking to my Mum while making them saying I was going to freeze half (there's only 2 of us) - they didn't get to the freezer my parents had them for their tea the following night and they concurred - SIMPLY DELICIOUS.

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  • Binder photo Iri

    14 October 2012

    Iri rated this recipe

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 45 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • pack of 8 good-quality sausages
  • 500g pack minced beef
  • 4 garlic cloves , crushed
  • small bunch fresh parsley , finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg , lightly beaten
  • plain flour for rolling
  • 4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • pinch sugar
  • 500g spaghetti
  • grated Parmesan , to serve
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PER SERVING

791 kcalories, protein 41.0g, carbohydrate 77.0g, fat 38.0 g, saturated fat 12.0g, fibre 4.0g, sugar 7.0g, salt 1.4 g

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