Proper Italian Meatballs

Charmaine Lu -
  • Olive oil
  • 2 diced onions
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 50ml milk
  • 100g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1kg quality beef mince
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 x 400g tins of Italian tomatoes
  • 300ml passata
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Cooked spaghetti, oregano and parmesan, to serve
  • Fry the onion in 1 tbsp of oil to soften, then add the fennel and half the garlic and cook for 2 mins more. Leave to cool, and meanwhile pour the milk over the breadcrumbs in a bowl. When soaked, add the breadcrumbs to the beef mince and onion mixture to a large bowl, stir in the beaten eggs and season well. Divide into 56 portions of 1 heaped tsp each, and roll each portion into a meatball.
  • Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs in batches until browned all over. Set aside. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan and fry the remaining garlic for a minute, then stir in the tomatoes, passata, bay leaf, vinegar and sugar. Simmer for 20 mins to thicken, then season well. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce, cook for 15 mins more, then serve with spaghetti, a scattering of oregano and plenty of grated parmesan.
1 hr
8 serving