Spaghetti & meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs are a classic family-friendly dinner. This recipe is great for batch cooking so you can save extra portions in the freezer.

Ingredients

• 8 good-quality pork sausages
• 1 kg beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 0.5 a large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 85 g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
• olive oil, for roasting
• spaghetti, to serve (about 100g per portion)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 125 ml red wine (optional)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 0.5 a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• few basil leaves (optional)

Steps

1. First, make the meatballs. Split the skins of the sausages and squeeze out the meat into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the mince, onion, parsley, parmesan, breadcrumbs, eggs and lots of seasoning. Get your hands in and mix together really well – the more you squeeze and mash the mince, the more tender the meatballs will be.
3. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the mince mixture into about 50 golf-ball-sized meatballs. Set aside any meatballs for freezing, allowing about five per portion, then spread the rest out in a large roasting tin – the meatballs will brown better if spaced out a bit.
4. Drizzle with a little oil (about 1 tsp per portion), shake to coat, then roast for 20-30 mins until browned.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and sizzle for 1 min.
6. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, if using, caster sugar, parsley and seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 mins until slightly thickened.
7. Stir in a few basil leaves, if using, spoon out any portions for freezing, then add the cooked meatballs to the pan to keep warm while you cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, salted water.
8. Spoon the sauce and meatballs over spaghetti, or stir them all together and serve with extra parmesan and a few basil leaves, if you like.