Have you ever craved a real Italian pasta and meatball dish but had no idea how to go about cooking it up? Fear not. It’s easier than you think. Simply follow my recipe below and you’ll be cooking Italian in no time!
I have added simple, easy to follow picture galleries detailing every step, from preparing the homemade meatballs from scratch to the final delicious product. This recipe easily serves 3.
Preparing the meatballs
Ingredients:
500g beef or lamb mince
1 x small onion finely chopped
1 x egg
1 x chilli chopped
1 x slice bread or breadcrumbs
salt, pepper & spice to taste
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Note: The meatballs can be fried in oil but I prefer baking them as this results in a healthier and tastier product.
Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. If you don’t have breadcrumbs break up a slice of bread into the mix. Add salt and any spice to taste. Knead well, until all the ingredients are distributed evenly into the mince.
Next, roll the mince into balls and place onto a baking tray. Insert into the pre-heated oven and bake until browned or fully cooked. My meatballs were done within 30 min.
NB: Use of oven mitts recommended to prevent any nasty burns!
Preparing the pasta
Ingredients:
250g Pasta (any type)
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
Method:
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a tablespoon of oil to the water. Add the pasta. Taking care not to overcook, drain out the pasta into a colander when cooked. Wash the pasta with cool water and allow to dry. Add salt to taste.
Preparing the arrabbiata sauce
Ingredients:
Shop bought arrabbiata sauce
1 x small onion chopped
1 x roma or jam tomato
salt and spice to taste
Note: It’s possible to simply use the shop bought sauce but I find that cooking up real tomato & onion makes the sauce all the more delicious. I prefer the Woolworths brand sauce though any brand can be used.
Method:
Chop up the small onion and fry until golden brown. Chop up the tomato and add to the browned onions. Add salt and spice to taste. Turn off the heat. Add the shop bought sauce. Mix.
Serve and enjoy!