MEATBALL SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO BASIL SAUCE

This is pretty uncharacteristic of me. I normally don't like tomato in any form. Period. But after seeing one too many Jamie Oliver shows, and seeing how enthusiastic he was over the simple tomato basil sauce, I decided to give it a try. And boy, was I glad I did! Like he said in some of his shows, it is hard to get nice, plump, juicy and red tomatoes. If I were to use the tomatoes I get at the local supermarkets, the sauce won't look so red. So I got a can of peeled whole tomatoes in tomato puree. The basil was freshly plucked from a friend's garden. I actually had a second round of the sauce, mopped up by the bread made by the same friend! It was heavenly! Those who know me well enough might think that i'm high on something, but I swear, I'm not! Tomatoes suddenly tastes good! So, let's get down to it!

This recipe serves two

Pasta for two, cooked al dente and dressed with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese

Sauce Ingredients

Half a can of whole, peeled tomatoes with tomato puree, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Half big onion, chopped

About 20 pcs of basil leaves, roughly chopped

Olive oil

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of oregano

1 tablespoon of rosemary

Meatball Ingredients

150g minced beef

75g minced pork

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Half a big onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Mozzarella cheese

Half of a beaten egg

To make the meatballs

First squeeze some mozzarella cheese into a small ball and put it aside.

Next, mix all the other ingredients together, shape them into meatballs.

Stuff the cheese into the centre of the meatball. 

Make sure that the cheese is totally covered.

Set the meatballs aside in the fridge to marinate.

In a pan with olive oil, sear the meatballs. 

Add the garlic and onions into the pan and cook till the onions are soft.

Add the rosemary and oregano and fry till fragrant.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar with enough water to cover three quarters of the meatball and let it simmer down to a thick sauce, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce is done, throw in the chopped basil, mix it well into the sauce and take the pot of the stove. The sauce is ready

Now you can plate the pasta, add a little parmesan cheese to your liking, put the meatballs in the pasta and add as much sauce as you like. You may sprinkle a little crushed black pepper on it to give it a little heat.

Enjoy!