Meatballs and Pasta

This is such an easy recipe to make. You can double the quantity of meatballs - freezing half for later. If you make your own tomato sauce this can also be made in larger quatities, frozen ready for use later.


Meatballs and Pasta with Home-made Tomato Sauce
Meatballs
Ingredients
250g lean minced beef
6 cream crackers - crushed to crumbs in a plastic bag
handful fresh rosemary - chopped
black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
pinch mixed herbs
1 egg
Tomato Sauce
glug olive oil
1 small red onion - peeled, sliced and diced
1 red chilli - de-seeded and finley chopped
2 cloves of garlic - peeled, sliced and diced
1 roasted red pepper - from jar - chopped
1 large mushroom - sliced and diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
handful basil leaves
Pasta
200g pasta - spaghetti, twists, penne or whatever
Method
1. Place minced beef, crackers, mustard, black pepper, mixed herbs, rosemary and egg
into a large bowl and using clean hands mix together.
2. Divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls - leave in the fridge until required.
If you make double the quantity you can freeze them at this stage.
3. Fill a saucepan 3/4 full of water and add pinch of salt and drop of olive oil.
4. Put on the lid and bring to the boil.
5. Whilst the water is boiling start to prepare the tomato sauce.
6. Add a glug of olive oil to a saucepan.
7. Add the onion, chilli, and garlic and saute for a couple minutes
8. Add the mushrooms and roasted pepper - stir.
9. Add the tin of tomatoes and basil leaves - stir well - add some black pepper and
leave to simmer for 8-10 minutes.
10.Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil for 10-12 minutes until tender.
11.Add a large glug of olive oil to a fry pan and fry meatballs until cooked right
through 10-12 minutes
12.Drain the pasta and put into large serving dish.
13.Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir
14.Pour the meatballs over the pasta and garnish with basil leaves.

Enjoy with crusty bread