Playing with recipes (Spagetti & Meatballs)

Buongiorno miei amici...My lovely friends lets leave India for a bit, we shall return to eat more of their delicious meals some other time. Today we would be going to Italy once again, and we would be learning how to make yummy and mouth watering meatballs...who doesn't like meat balls??? no one i guess! everyone loves meatballs, little children and adults so its a meal for the whole family, you should make it one of your favorite family comfort foods.

Ingredients

• ground beef
• ground pork
• garlic
• breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• parsley
• basil
• salt
• pepper
• canned crushed tomatoes
• tomatoes
• tomatoes paste
• 2 sliced bread
• onion
• Parmesan cheese
• spaghetti
• olive oil
• sugar

For the Meatballs

• ground pork
• ground beef
• bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons salt (the cheese is salty so do not add too much salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon red chili pepper or pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 eggs
• vegetable oil
• olive oil

For the Sauce

• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoons minced garlic
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomatoes paste
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 4 fresh tomatoes (diced)
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper
• sugar

Lets cook

1. In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, meat, break in two eggs, add plenty of freshly grated Parmesan, some parsley, basil, garlic, black pepper, red chili pepper or pepper flakes, onion powder and a little salt.
2. Get your hands in there and get dirty, mix all the ingredients together.
3. Mold small balls out of the mixture and place on a flat tray, when you are done put it in the freezer for a few minutes just to make the meatballs stick solidly together.
4. Heat up equal amount of vegetable oil and  olive oil in a heavy pot or skillet, large enough to hold the sauce ingredients, because we would be using same pot for the sauce.
5. When the oil is hot. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs when they are brown on the outside but not done on the inside. They will finish cooking in the sauce later. Move them to a plate covered with paper towels.
6. Keep the same pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, stir it around for a couple of minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomatoes paste, fresh diced tomatoes, parsley, basil, black pepper and pepper flakes, salt and sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Let the sauce cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Carefully add the meatballs, and stir them into the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 20-30 more minutes. The yummy juices inside the meatballs will work their way into the sauce, giving it some really delicious flavor. Stir the sauce very gently a couple of times.
8. Serve on your already prepared Spaghetti and grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy your meal.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs after being browned before putting it in the sauce

Buon Appetito
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