Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 250g beef mince
- 50g panko breadcrumbs
- 25g grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Pasta:
- 300g Yorkshire fusilli pasta
- 400g tinned San Marzano tomatoes (blended)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Handful fresh basil leaves (reserve additional leaves for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined. Top tip: to ensure the seasoning is correct, cook a small piece of the meatball mixture and taste.
Step 2
Shape the mixture into meatballs, I prefer mini meatballs, around the size of a 2p piece.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides before removing the meatballs from the pan.
Step 4
Into the same pan add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent.
Step 5
Add in the tomatoes, basil and dried oregano. Let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper. If you aren’t able to get San Mazarno tomatoes you can also add sugar at this stage to slightly sweeten (around 1 tsp)
Step 6
Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and let them simmer together for an additional 5-10 minutes until cooked through.
Step 7
While the meatballs are cooking in the sauce, prepare the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, this is usually a couple of minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain and set aside, make sure you reserve some of the starchy pasta water.
Step 8
Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water in with the meatballs. Mix and reduce the sauce for an additional couple of minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the pasta evenly.
Step 9
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
