MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Here is it, as promised, the recipe for the meatballs. I combined these with pasta and tasted (as expected) very good together. You will make everyone happy with this dish. It’s a true classic, but I added many different types of herbs and even some roasted pine nuts. But as I mentioned before, when you cook you can add the herbs you like yourself and have in your kitchen cabinet.

For 3 people.

Ingredients for the meat:

- 500gr of mixed minced meat

- Spring onion (used 2 stems)

- 3 shallots

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 2 chili peppers

- 2 eggs

- 20gr of chives

- 20gr of basil

- 30gr of roasted pine nuts

- 3 tablespoons of sesame oil

- 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

- 3 tablespoons of minced meat spices

- Salt

- Pepper

- Butter

Ingredients for the tomato sauce:

- 35gr of tomato puree

- 8 ripe tomatoes

- 2 shallots

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 2 cubes of chicken broth

- 2 dried laurel leaves

- Branch of thyme

- Olive oil

Other ingredients/equipment:

- Pasta

- Parchment/baking paper

Recipe:

1. First, we will make the tomato sauce.

2. Cut the shallots and garlic very fine and place aside.

3. Wash the tomatoes and cut in small cubes, don’t throw away the middle

of the tomatoes, we also need this for the sauce.

4. Place a big cooking pot on a high fire and add a little bit of olive oil.

5. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic.

6. Afterwards, add the cubes of tomatoes and the tomato puree to the

cooking pot.

7. Let this cook and after 3 minutes lower your fire.

8. Add the chicken broth to your cooking pot together with the laurel leaves

and the branches of thyme.

9. Add a bit of water to your cooking pot and let everything cook further on

low fire.

10. Place the lid on the cooking pot and stir occasionally.

11. Now on to the meatballs.

12. Preheat the oven on 175°C.

13. Take a big mixing bowl.

14. Cut the shallots, garlic and chili peppers very thin and add this to the

mixing bowl.

15. Cut the basil, chives and spring onion thin and add it to the mixing

bowl.

16. Preheat a pan on a high-fire and add a little bit of butter.

17. Once the butter is melted, you add all the ingredients from your mixing

bowl to it.

18. Let this cook for a minute and season with salt and pepper.

19. Take your empty mixing bowl and add the minced meat to it.

20. Add the 2 eggs, sesame oil, breadcrumbs, minced meat herbs and the roasted pine nuts.

21. Wash your hands and mix everything together with your hands.

22. After mixing, add the ingredients from your pan to it (the herbs).

23. Mix everything thoroughly together and (optional) season with salt and

pepper.

24. Roll the meat into medium size balls.

25. Place a piece of parchment/baking paper in an oven dish.

26. Put a little bit of olive oil on top of the parchment/baking paper.

27. Place the meatballs in the oven dish.

28. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

29. In the meanwhile, we will cook the pasta.

30. Place a big cooking pot on a high-fire, fill it water and a pinch of salt

until you reach boiling point.

31. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti until ready (read

packaging) and afterwards drain your pasta in a colander.

32. Once the meatballs are ready, you add them to your tomato sauce.

Only the meatballs, not the juice that’s in the oven dish.

33. Stir everything together and serve it with the cooked pasta.