Ingredients:
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato puru00e9e
- 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 500ml tomato passata
- u00bd tsp dried oregano
- u00bd tsp dried basil
- Pinch of sugar
- 350g spaghetti
- For the meatballs:
- 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
- 10 mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil, for cooking
- For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- u00bd an onion, finely chopped
- To serve:
- Cheddar or Mozzarella, grated
Method:
- In a food processor or mini chopper, combine the carrot, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Whizz until finely chopped.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped vegetables with the remaining meatball ingredients, except for the oil. Use clean hands to mix together until just combined, but do not over-mix.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs measuring 3-4cm in diameter.
- Heat a little oil in a large pan and brown the meatballs on all sides, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and adding a little more oil for each batch if needed. When the meatballs are browned, remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and red pepper for about five minutes, then add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another minute.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, passata, oregano, basil, sugar and some salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then add the spaghetti, pressing it down slowly until all of the strands are in the sauce. Allow to bubble for 15-18 minutes until the pasta is cooked, adding the meatballs for the last 10 minutes.
- Divide the spaghetti and meatballs among serving bowls and sprinkle with grated Cheddar or Mozzarella before serving.
