Main events, RecipesDave BattenApril 17, 2020Meat, meatballs

Italian-ish Meatballs

Main events, RecipesDave BattenApril 17, 2020Meat, meatballs

This is a classic dish, and there are as many recipes as Italian’s telling you that their recipe is the best! What I like about this recipe is the number of substitutions you can make based on what you have to hand, or what needs using up and still come out with a top meal. So if you are digging around your store cupboard and find strange dried herbs, or have frozen pork mince, or passata, try your hand at these meatballs. Have a play and end up with a filling meal.

Step 1 - Make your balls

Put the minced beef in a large bowl - make it a mix of beef, pork and / or veal for a lighter meatball
Add the parmesan, egg, salt and spices
Give it a good mix
Top tip: your hands are the best tool here, give them a clean and get stuck in!
Divide the mix into even amounts, you should be able to get about 30 x 30g balls
Top tip: wet hands will help you roll your balls
Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a big pan
Fry off the balls, in batches, if you need too until they have a nice brown crust

Step 2 - Make the sauce

Tip in two tins of tomatoes into the meatballs
Top tip: whole plum tomatoes in sauce are better quality than ready chopped, but chop yourself. Use whatever you have in the cupboard though, chopped toms and passata work too.
Give a good stir and bring to the boil
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
Finely chop the parsley
Chiffonade the basil
Add the herbs and stir once more
In a separate pan heat the butter
Add the massive amount of spinach to the butter and carefully toss until wilted, and it shrinks to a tenth of the size!
Season well and stir into the tomato-ey meatballs
Mix together and have a taste of the sauce. Season to your liking

Tear the ball of mozzarella and scatter over the meatballs. Serve over pasta, on its own, or as here the next day, as an oven bake to let the mozzarella melt and brown!