Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:
375g spaghetti
100g grated mozzarella
75g grated parmesan
THE SAUCE:
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 large brown onion chopped
250g button mushrooms
200ml red wine
4 tomatoes
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
4 tbs roughly chopped basil
1 tsp sugar
2 bacon stock cubes crumbled
THE MEATBALLS:
600g premium mince
1 onion diced very finely
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
1 egg lightly beaten
“CRUNCHY CHEESE TOP ON A PASTA FAVOURITE - WORTH THE EFFORT”
Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for ½ an hour. With one tablespoon of mixture at a time, form meatballs with wet hands. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, and flour each meatball as you put it in the pan. Cook in batches (don’t crowd) until cooked through and brown on the outside.
Lightly cook the onion and garlic in a pan until golden and soft. Add mushrooms, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, red wine, Worcestershire, sugar, and stock cubes. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes covered. Uncover and add the basil; cook a further 5 minutes.
Cook spaghetti in oiled and salted water. Drain thoroughly.
Place meatballs in an oiled medium casserole dish. Add half the sauce and half the spaghetti and mix through very carefully, being careful not to break up any meatballs. Then add the rest of the sauce and more pasta bit by bit, mixing as you go to ensure that you do not have too much for the sauce.
Sprinkle the top with Mozzarella and then Parmesan.
Cook uncovered in a moderate oven for around 20 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is crisp and browned.
Designed for four - but will probably yield seconds.
THIS DISH CAN BE COOKED ON THE HOTPLATES IN ONE DEEP PAN BY MIXING THE MEATBALLS, SAUCE AND PASTA TOGETHER CAREFULLY.
WHAT YOU DON'T GET THOUGH IS THE BROWNED CHEESE CRUNCH ON THE TOP THAT COMES WITH THE OVEN BAKING.
You have to be in the mood for cooking to do this one - lots of work.