This is a brilliant midweek special for when you’re pushed for time – quick and easy tomatoey meatballs with spaghetti. Delish!
We’re renowned for our sausages but our pork and beef meatballs have quickly become a firm family favourite. Versatile and supremely tasty, they’re perfect with spaghetti.
Time to work some Italian-style midweek magic…
Grab yourself a handful of basil leaves, keeping any smaller ones to one side for later. Peel and finely chop an onion and some garlic and trim and finely slice or crumble a small chilli.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for seven minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Then add the garlic and chilli, and as soon as they start to colour, add the large basil leaves.
We know you haven’t got time to rustle up a homemade tomato sauce. So open up two cans of plum tomatoes and tip them in (we won’t tell anyone if you won’t). Break them up with the back of a spoon, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer until required, stirring regularly.
Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of oil in another large frying pan over a medium heat, add those gorgeously tasty Porky Whites meatballs and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through, turning regularly. To check if they’re cooked, cut one open – there should be no pinkiness. Once cooked, add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer while you crack on with the pasta.
Simply cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions (we prefer spaghetti with our meatballs but hey, your kitchen, your rules) before draining but reserving a mugful of cooking water.
Return the spaghetti to the pan. Spoon half of the tomato sauce over the spaghetti and toss together, adding a little splash of reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed.
Transfer to a large platter or divide between bowls, serving the remaining sauce and meatballs on top. Now for the crowning glory. Add a fine grating of Parmesan and scatter over the reserved basil.
Hot, tasty and an absolute doddle!
