Spaghetti and Meatballs with Red Wine Sauce

Spaghetti Bolognaise, Spag Bol, Spaghetti and Meatballs - all these variations on a common theme are very popular around the world. Unfortunately, none of them bear much resemblance to the simple pasta dish from the Italian city of Bologna which provided the initial inspiration. In Italy, the sauce for pasta is very much incidental and is intended merely to complement the pasta itself. In this recipe, I have tried to go some way towards the traditional, while still catering to the wider appeal of a rich, accompanying sauce for pasta.

Ingredients per Portion

8oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
2fl oz red wine
1 clove of garlic
Generous pinch of dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4lb minced/ground beef
1/2 small onion
5oz dried spaghetti
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil leaves to garnish (optional)

Method

Pour one tablespoon only of the olive oil in to a small saucepan. Bring it gently up to a medium heat. Grate in the peeled garlic clove and add the oregano. Stir around for a minute or so before adding the chopped tomatoes and the red wine. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and leave to reduce for twenty minutes, stirring frequently, while the remainder of the dish is prepared.

Very finely dice the half onion. Put it in to a mixing bowl with the beef and season. Use your hand to squeeze the beef and onion together, rather than simply mix them together. There is no need for egg or breadcrumbs. It is important only to achieve almost a paste like consistency before splitting the mixture in to four equal portions and rolling each one in to a ball about the size of a golf ball.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the spaghetti. When the water returns to the boil, reduce the heat to achieve a simmer for ten minutes.

Add the remaining olive oil to a non-stick frying pan and put it on a moderate heat. Gently fry the meatballs while the spaghetti simmers, turning them around in the pan frequently to ensure even cooking.

Drain the spaghetti and return it to the empty pot. Pour in the tomato and red wine sauce and stir carefully around to coat the spaghetti evenly with the sauce. Pour on to the serving plate and sit the meatballs on top. Garnish with the basil leaves (if desired) and serve immediately.

Beef Meatballs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Onion Ciabatta Roll

Although meatballs and tomato sauce are more popularly used to accompany a pasta such as spaghetti rather than served alone in this fashion, I decided one night recently to have them accompanied instead by a fresh, onion ciabatta roll. I was delighted with the results - and even found that I had sufficient tomato sauce left over to cool, refrigerate and re-heat to have with some pasta shells for the following day's lunch!

This recipe is for one person.

Ingredients

1/2lb minced/ground beef
1 garlic clove (crushed or grated)
Generous pinch of dried oregano
2 14oz tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion ciabatta roll

Method

Put the beef, garlic and oregano in to a large bowl or basin and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix very thoroughly by hand before taking parts of the mixture to shape it in to meatballs, each about the size of a golfball. The quantities given here should make seven or eight meatballs.

Add enough olive oil to a pot to cover the base of it and bring it up to a medium heat. Carefully place the meatballs in the pot and gently stir them around with a wooden spoon until they are browned, as shown in the photographs to the left. This process should take no longer than two to three minutes.

When the meatballs are evenly browned in this way, add the chopped tomatoes and turn the heat up until they begin to simmer. Reduce the heat to keep them at a gentle simmer and cook in this way for half an hour, stirring gently and occasionally.

The meatballs should then be added to a serving plate and the desired amount of tomato sauce spooned over the top. The onion ciabatta roll should be served on the side.

Remember to allow the remaining tomato sauce to cool before refrigerating and to use it up the following day.

Useful Associated Links

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce from the BBC

Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti

Organic Meatballs in Fennel and Tomato Sauce