Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

250g beef or veal mince
250g pork mince
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
1 egg, whisked
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking and drizzling
500g cooked spaghetti, to serve

Tomato Sauce

1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup red wine
810g can Ardmona Crushed Vine Ripened Tomatoes
140g Ardmona Tomato Paste
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Method

Combine beef and pork mince in a large bowl with breadcrumbs, parmesan, parley, egg, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Use clean hands to gently massage the mixture together. Using wet hands, roll mixture into walnut sized balls.
Pour enough olive oil into a large, non-stick frying pan to cover base. Heat on medium. Add meatballs, frying and tossing for 8-10 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate.
Tomato Sauce. Heat same pan on medium and add a drizzle of olive oil if necessary. Sauté onion 2-3 minutes until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Deglaze pan with red wine, before stirring in tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and season.
Carefully add meatballs to tomato sauce. Simmer on low for 10 minutes to heat the meatballs through.
Toss cooked spaghetti through the meatballs and sauce. Serve sprinkled with extra chopped parsley (or basil), parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pro Tip

Make this dish really easy by using ready-made fresh meatballs available from your supermarket or butcher. For a little spice, add a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes or a sliced chilli to the tomato sauce.