Hidden treasure spaghetti and meatballs

Hidden treasure spaghetti and meatballs

I’m trying to be thrifty with my food until pay day. I have some of beautiful mince from Gilmore Braes Heritage Beef. I was struggling to decide if I’d use it to make my super simple burgers, or spaghetti sauce. If I made burgers, I was going to make veggie stock with some that were going a bit lank I the fridge. Otherwise, I’d use them in my spaghetti sauce. Then it occurred to me I could make vegetable stock, then blitz the vegies into spaghetti sauce. Waste not, want not. You could use vegies left over from some other use if you want. But it’s so great to have veggie stock in the freezer, I’d recommend you throw some carrots, celery, onion, garlic and parsnips, turnips or other root vegetables into a pot with some bay leaves, peppercorns and water. Boil them away for an hour or so, then strain and freeze in portions till you want to use it. Reserve the onion and garlic and some celery and carrots. Use these for this recipe.

The hidden treasure in this dish is not only the added vegetables, but the little piece of mozzarella cheese in the centre of the meatballs that goes lovely and gooey when warm.

Serves 4

1	cup	cooked vegetables (onion, garlic, celery and carrot)
1	tablespoon	tomato paste
½	cup	red wine
2	cups	tomato passata
½	teaspoon	oregano
250	grams	beef mince
30	gram	piece mozzarella cheese
2	teaspoons	olive oil
400	grams	spaghetti
		grated parmesan cheese, to serve
		chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Cut the mozzarella into 5-10 millimetre cubes. Wrap the cubes in a little beef mince, making sure the cheese is thoroughly enclosed.

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan. When it’s hot, add the meat balls and fry till brown all over then remove from the pan and set aside.

Blitz the cooked vegetables in a food processor and add them to the hot frying pan with the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the red wine to the pan and allow to reduce a little. Add the oregano and passata and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet directions.

Return the meatballs to the sauce to heat through. Drain the pasta and stir the sauce through the spaghetti. Divide between serving bowls, topping with meatballs.

Serve with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.