Spaghetti and meatballs. Other than Pizza and Bolognese, I can think of no
more stereotypical a dish to epitomise Italian food. The big, warm meaty
flavours, the thick tomato sauce, and of course the wonderful connotations
with 2 dogs sharing a moment in a back alley with a big moustachioed
man looking on in the distance…

Seriously though, this is a simple and heartwarming dish that will make your mouth water.

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1tbsp olive oil
• A good knob of butter
• 1tbsp flour
• 100ml red wine
• 400ml beef stock
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

For the meatballs

• 1 small onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1tsp chopped oregano leaves
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 350-400g minced beef
• 4-5tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2tbsp flour
• 2tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Firstly, start by making the meatballs.
2. In a large pan, gently fry the onion, garlic and oregano, again for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Once this is done, add the onion mixture to the mince and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl.
4. Season well and start rolling some meatballs in the palms of your hands. The mixture should make about 24 meatballs, enough to feed 4, and perfect for freezing.
5. For the best possible flavour, leave in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Next, once you’ve got all the meatballs in the bag, we can look at making the sauce.
7. Begin by gently cooking the onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter on a low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.
8. Next, slowly stir in the flour. Once all the flour is combined with the butter/onions, slowly add the red wine and beef stock. Be careful to
   stir constantly to prevent lumps.
9. Finally add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer on a low to medium heat for 40 minutes.
10. Once you’ve got the sauce simmering, heat some vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan, lightly flour the meatballs and brown them evenly in the oil in a few batches.
11. Drain on some kitchen paper, then add to the sauce and continue simmering for about 15-20 minutes, topping up with water if the sauce is becoming too dry.
12. Finally, remember to cook the spaghetti! Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water, according to the manufacturer’s cooking instructions, then drain in a colander.
13. To serve, take 3 tablespoons of the sauce and stir into the drained spaghetti, portion up and spoon the meatballs and sauce over the pasta.
14. Serve with grated Parmesan, belissimo!