MOMS SPAGETTI AND MEATBALLS

Stefano reveals his Mom’s secret recipe and the trick for tender, juicy meatballs every time.

These meatballs are tender and moist and so easy to make because you don’t have fuss with browning them, you just add them straight to the sauce to cook. If you have any leftovers, make meatball sandwiches.

Yield: 4 servings.
Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 fresh pealed and de-seeded tomatoes chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 to 6 basil leaves, chopped

Meatballs
150 g ground veal
150 g ground beef
150 g ground pork
Pinch oregano
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
½ cup bread crumbs (Stale Brown bread)
¼ cup olive oil, for rolling meatballs

Assembly
500 g spaghetti
Parmesan cheese, for serving

For the tomato sauce: Add olive oil to large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté onions and garlic until softened and lightly golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Blend with stick blender

While sauce is simmering, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine ground meats, oregano, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper, eggs, milk and bread crumbs. Coat your hands with olive oil and roll meatballs, about the size of a golf ball. Makes about 16 meatballs.

Add meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce. Cook until meatballs are no longer pink in the centre and sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in fresh basil.

While the meatballs are cooking in the sauce, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water. Cook until al dente.

To serve spaghetti and meatballs: Toss spaghetti with tomato sauce and serve Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes about 16 meatballs.

Stefano Mom’s
Photo : Elize de Kock