Spaghetti and Meatballs

Juicy and flavourful meatballs, on a bed of perfectly cooked spaghetti and marinara sauce. What’s there to not like about this mouth-watering dish?

Our spaghetti and meatballs also have a hint of freshness from the herbal taste of basil leaves. This is one of the best ways to prepare spaghetti, in a simple yet delicious way.

To make our meatballs, we used Rum Jungle Free-Range Ground Beef, provided to us by one of our partners, Blackgold Foods. This is 80 percent lean beef, which is free of any hormones and antibiotics. It has just the right amount of fat in it, making the meatballs juicier.

Serving size: 4-5

Ingredients:

For the meatballs

• 250g Rum Jungle Free-Range Ground Beef
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp grated red cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 medium-sized onion (diced)
• 2 finely chopped green chillies
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can peeled tomatoes (400g)
• 2/3 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup grated red cheddar cheese
• ½ cup whole fresh basil leaves (keep a 6-inch piece of the stem for the sauce)

For the pasta

• 250g uncooked spaghetti
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. To a large bowl, add 250g Rum Jungle Free-Range Ground Beef, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp grated red cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp oregano, and 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil leaves.
2. Using your hands, mix everything evenly together, until it is firm enough to roll into balls (if it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs).
3. Then, wet your hands and roll the beef mixture into small, round balls around 1.5 inches. You should be able to make around 12-13 meatballs
4. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a pot and heat it up at medium-low heat. Place the meatballs in the pot and fry the outside for 5-6 minutes or until they turn darker brown in colour (they don’t need to be fully cooked on the inside, just lightly fried on the outside). Make sure to turn the meatballs every minute or so to evenly cook all sides.
5. Remove the meatballs to a plate and add another 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pot. Then, add in 1 diced medium-sized onion and sauté for 1 minute at medium heat or until softened.
6. Next, add 4 finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped green chillies, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ½ tsp chilli flakes. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion and garlic are lightly golden in colour.
7. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and continue sautéing for 1 more minute.
8. Next, add a can of peeled tomato (400g) and ¼ cup water to the pot. Mix together while mashing some of the tomato chunks. Then, season with 2/3 tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, 1 bay leaf, and the 6-inch piece of basil leaf stem.
9. Place the meatballs back in the sauce and stir to cover them well. Cover the pot with the lid and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally and continue mashing the large tomato chunks. The meatballs will cook in the sauce during this time.
10. In the meantime, to another pot, add 6 cups water and 1 tsp salt. Let the water come to a boil (when bubbles form on the surface), add in 250g uncooked spaghetti noodles.
11. Cook the spaghetti for 6-7 minutes or as instructed on the package, until soft. Then, drain and leave it in a bowl. Mix it with 1 tbsp olive oil to make sure the noodle strands don’t stick together.
12. Once the sauce is cooked, remove the basil leaf stem and bay leaf from it. Then, remove the meatballs to a separate plate.
13. Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sauce simmer again (without the lid) for another minute to reduce down a little. The sauce should not be dry or too watery by now, but a nice gravy-like consistency.  
14. Next, add ½ cup grated red cheddar cheese and the cooked spaghetti to the sauce, and mix well.
15. Lastly, add ½ cup whole fresh basil leaves and give the spaghetti a final mix. To serve, plate the spaghetti first and place some meatballs on top.