Spaghetti Meatballs

Minggu lepas masa sy beli stok daging kat kedai Turki, masa sy order 1kg minced meat, Mr. Butcher telah menawarkan harga diskaun utk minced meat jika sy beli 3kg. Mr. Butcher ni mmg pemurah orgnya...selalu bg extra setiap kali sy beli ayam/daging dgnnya. Tp sy fikir "what would I do dgn 3kg minced meat?" . Dan pulak ruang freezer adalah kecil, sy nak beli byk lagi stok barangan beku so 3kg was very unnecessary. Tapi kebetulan pulak kwn sy Kak Liza ada bersama, bila dia dgr si Mr. Butcher offer diskaun, terus dia kata nak share ngan sy. So kami amik sorang 1.5kg.

Sy takde specific plan apa nak buat dgn minced meat ni. Tapi sy saja simpan buat stok. Kot2 nanti kalau terasa nak buat karipap ke, lasagne ke, sy dah minced meat. Tapi bila balik rumah, sy browsed resepi2 kat internet, ternampak resepi spaghetti meatballs Rachel Ray kat Food Network. And since sy tak penah lagi lagi buat spaghetti meatballs, i guessed I should try do it then.

This is the recipe cut & paste from Food Network:

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti - I used 1kg spaghetti
• Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin - I used 750g minced meat
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls - I just used german type breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romanocheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes - I used 1 cube beef dissolved in 1 cup hot water
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley - I substituted with 1tsp ground oregano
• 10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
• Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table
• Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F /m220C

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

* To make the spaghetti more tasty (but unhealthy!) after the spaghetti is drained. mix the spaghetti with 2 tablespoon butter (or more). The heat from the spaghetti will melt the butter nicely. Mix well.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread (and some good chianti!)