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Spaghetti and meatballs

Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs. Here’s a fabulous recipe for the classic pasta dish, using lamb mince.

Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs. Here’s a fabulous recipe for the classic pasta dish, using lamb mince.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
500g lamb mince
30g fresh breadcrumbs
Small handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, very finely chopped, plus extra to serve
3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
Good knob of butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 glass of red wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
250ml chicken or lamb stock, hot
Pinch of golden caster sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
400g spaghetti
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
50g goat’s cheese, crumbled

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Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then gently fry the shallots for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, parsley and anchovies to the bowl, then season well. Mix together with your hands, adding just enough egg to bind. Shape into 24 meatballs, put on a baking sheet, then chill while you make the sauce.
Heat another 1 tbsp oil and a knob of butter in the frying pan and fry the red onion for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and thyme, then fry for 1-2 minutes more. Pour in the red wine and bubble until reduced by half, then add the tomatoes, stock, sugar and red wine vinegar. Season well and simmer for 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan, then fry the meatballs for a few minutes, turning until browned all over. Transfer to the sauce and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for 10 minutes until al dente, drain, then toss with the extra-virgin olive oil. Serve the meatballs on top of the spaghetti, sprinkled with the goat’s cheese and a little extra parsley.