spaghetti and herby meatballs

Sunday lunches are traditionally for large meals in my family. Almost always, there must be a meat dish on the table. A simple spaghetti dish is probably a scale down, however decedent it might be. (No offense random Italian reading this post.) You must understand, if it is a meal made at home, in the psyche of a Muganda ( the author's ethnic heritage) it must look as close to matooke (unripened bananas steamed in banana leaves for hours) as possible, accompanied by a variety of beef or chicken stews, colorful rice, at least two kinds of veggie side dishes, and some steamed potatoes, pumpkin or yam.

So when it was only myself and my baby sister at home alone, I decided that this simple delicious no-fuss meal was just right. The recipe is adapted from one an Italian uncle shared. In my lifetime of fascination over his travels in Italy, this is one of those many dishes he shared that remind me of him.

Makes 24 meatballs. But the sauce makes only for a meal for 3 - 4 people. Double the ingredients as you please. From prep to service, it should take you about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Herby meatballs

• 250g of minced fatty pork

• 500g of minced beef

• 1 cup of panko bread crumbs (ordinary breadcrumbs will do. Just tear up some pieces of white bread, blend them up in a blender or food processor. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and dry them either in the oven, in a pan over a hot flame or out in the sun）

• 1/2 cup of full cream milk

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

• 1/2 cup of assorted herbs ( a bunch of parsley, 2 sprigs of oregano and thyme, diced finely)

• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely

• olive oil

• I large egg

• salt and pepper

Tomato sauce

• 2 400g cans of whole peeled tomatoes

• 2 cloves of garlic crushed

• 1 sprig of thyme

• a 50g pack of tomato paste

• extra virgin olive oil

• a tablespoon of sugar

• salt and pepper

METHOD

STEP 1: The meatballs.

1. In a frying pan large enough to cook your meatballs and sauce, later on, fry diced onion in a bit of hot extra virgin olive oil until they are translucent. Set them aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the meatball ingredients, and the fried onions last when cooled. Mix together and form your meatballs into the desired shape and size, packing the meat together as tightly as possible in your hand. Place the meatballs on a large plate or baking sheet pan, cover with clingfilm and set them in the refrigerator. This process helps them set so they don't fall apart in the pan.

3. In the same pan you cooked the onions, add in more olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and let it come up to a medium-high temperature. You will know if you put in a piece of bread and it sizzles. Fry the meatballs in batches, making sure to arrange them spaciously. When they are all browned all over, place them on a plate while you prepare the sauce.

Do not under any circumstances pour out the oil you used. Keep it for the sauce, including any browned bits left in the pan.

Tip: Fry only the meatballs you will need and set aside the rest for later. Place them on a plate and put them in the freezer for about 4 hours before sealing them in a ziplock bag and keeping them frozen. This way your meatballs won't stick together, which is such a bother!

STEP 2: The sauce.

1. Simply peel and smash your garlic cloves to flatten them with the back of your knife.

2. While the oil is still moderately hot, place the garlic in the pan you used to cook the meatballs and add in a sprig of fresh thyme.

3. When the garlic is barely browned, add in the tomatoes, liquid, and all. I like my tomato sauce chunky, so I just crush the tomatoes in my hands and dump them in in chunks. However, you can always finely chop them up and add them to the pot. Add the tomato paste and rinse out the empty tomato cans with enough water, adding it to the sauce.

4. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the sugar and salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes before adding back the meatballs to the sauce and cook everything on low heat for about 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through, and your sauce is thick. You can fish out the whole garlic cloves and thyme sprig and discard them.

STEP 3: Service.

1. While the sauce is simmering, put a large pot of water on the hob and bring it to a rolling boil. Season the water with a lot of salt.

2. Boil your spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet, normally for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is soft but still chewy.

3. Spoon your sauce and meatballs preferably onto a plate. But whatever works for you is ok. I would probably just dump my pasta into the sauce and eat it straight out of the pan if I was alone and not in civilized company.

4. Anyway, serve up your pasta, crown with finely grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy the messy eating.

PAT.