Italian meatballs with pasta

Up: 🍳Home cooking

Ingredients

• 225 g (1/2 lb) beef mince
• 225 g (1/2 lb) pork mince
• 4 slices of bread
• Oregano
• Fresh (ideally) basil, tarragon and/or thyme
• Olive oil
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion
• Balsamic vinegar
• Paprika
• Black pepper (optional)
• 1 red pepper
• 300 g spaghetti or other pasta

Method

1. Remove the crusts from the slices of bread and blitz the bread in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.
2. Combine the beef and pork mince, breadcrumbs and oregano in a bowl, mixing by hand.
3. Split the mixture into 24 individual portions and roll into ball shapes by hand, placing on a non-stick baking tray.
4. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 C.
5. Peel and chop the onion and fry in the olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.
6. Add the paprika, freshly cracked black pepper (optional, this could also be added at the table by those who like pepper) and fresh herbs and fry for another minute. Add the balsamic vinegar.
7. Deseed and chop the red pepper.
8. Add the chopped pepper and chopped tomatoes (also swirl a little cold water in the empty tin and add) and simmer.
9. Make the spaghetti or other pasta of your choice as per packet instructions, usually 12-13 minutes if dried pasta, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom.