Are there any other kind of meatballs apart from Italian ? The answer is obviously yes but these are still the best, this is a classic Italian recipe.
Serves
4
Cooking time
4 hours
Ingredients
Meatballs:
250g beef mince
250g pork mince
1 clove garlic, grated
handful of parmesan, grated
1 egg
pinch of dried oregano
handful of semolina or breadrumbs
salt and pepper
Sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tins chopped tomatoes
a dash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
handful of fresh basil
Meatballs:
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands – see Cook’s tip. Shape into small meatballs – about walnut size – put on a plate and chill until needed.
Sauce:
Fry the onion gently in olive oil in a pan large enough to take all the meatballs in one layer. Once the onion is soft and slightly caramelised add the tomatoes, season and add the vinegar. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid off until the sauce has reduced slightly (about 10-15 minutes).
Drop in the meatballs, bring back to the boil, cover and simmer for 40-50 mins minutes. Finish cooking with the lid off to reduce the sauce if it is too thin – you want a nice thick sauce.
Tear the basil into the sauce at the last minute.
Serve with tagliatelle, more parmesan and crusty bread.