Spaghetti Meatballs

We are a bit tired of spaghetti bolognese, and the kids keep asking to have meatballs for dinner.  I don't have much success in making meatballs as it always turn out very hard and it is quite time consuming to pan fried the balls.  Then I use the method in making Chinese steamed patty for the meatballs.  It is a much easier way to cook and the meatballs is tender and soft.  To increase the fibre intake, I choose to use wholemeal pasta in this recipe although the plain one tastes smoother.  Making this dish reminds me of the nursery song, "On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese, I lose my poor meatballs when somebody sneezed.......so if you eat spaghetti all covered with cheese, hold on to your meatballs and don't ever sneeze."  Ah-chee!

   

Spaghetti Meatballs

(serve 4)

Ingredients:

280g lean pork mince or veal mince

2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cornflour

5 tablespoons water

For the sauce: 

1 medium onion, cut into small pieces

1 small carrot, cut into small cube 

1 small zucchini, cut into small cube

3-4 button mushroom, cut into small pieces

1/2 medium red capsicum, cut into small pieces

500g bottle pasta sauce

3/4 packet of 500g wholemeal spaghetti

1 tablespoon garlic

fresh basil and oregano leaves, chopped

250g water (1/2 of the pasta sauce bottle)

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Methods:

1. Marinate the pork mince with the herb, salt and pepper.  Add the corn flour and water and mix until it is all combined and feels light.  Let it stand for 30 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in the saucepan, add the onion and garlic, stir for a minute.  Then add the rest of the vegetables and cook till it is becoming soft.  Pour the pasta sauce into the pan and add the water, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Roll the mince into meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball, drop it into the cooking sauce.  Make 16 balls.  Let it cook for another 20 minutes.  Do not stir as it will break the meatballs.  Add the chopped basil and oregano leaves over the sauce. 
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti following the packet direction, drain and arrange the cooked pasta on to 4 serving plates, leave a well in the middle.
5. Pour 4 meatballs with sauce onto the pasta and sprinkle some parmesan cheese over.