I love meatballs.

I was tempted to leave the introduction to this recipe as that, but I probably should give you a little more.

I really do like meatballs, though. I mean, I’ve already got three different meatball recipes on the site, and another meatball recipe waiting in the wings to be written up. I’ve got several meatball recipes in my head that I just having made yet. I’ll have meatballs with spaghetti, in a soup, with chips, with salad, on their own, anything. I just love meatballs.

But it’s not a wild, untamed love. I’m on the hunt for the perfect meatball recipe, the only meatball recipe, the one meatball recipe to rule all other meatball recipes. I think this one is getting pretty close to that. It’s certainly a damn good meatball.

Has the word meatball lost all meaning for you, yet.

Finely dice half of the red onion and the garlic clove, and finely dice the carrots. Mix them together with the mince, oregano and some seasoning. Make into about 18 meatballs. It’s best if you chill these overnight to help them keep their shape.
 

Brown the meatballs in a hot frying pan with a drizzle of oil or Fry Light. My meatballs tend to break apart very slightly when I do this, which isn’t a problem but is annoying. Anyone got any tips to help?
 

Take a casserole dish with a lid and heat some oil/Fry Light in it. Dice the other half of the red onion, the garlic glove and the pepper and fry for a few minutes until soft. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, the stock and a good heavy glug of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
 

Slice the carrots into chunky slices, add to the pot and stir. Add the meatballs and gently combine so they’re evenly spread out across the sauce. 
 

Cover this and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. You should put your pasta on to cook according to the packet instructions at this point. When you uncover the pot everything should look and smell delicious.
 

Simmer for ten minutes more to get the sauce really nice and thick. Then serve piled over the drained pasta, and with some trimmed green beans if you want the extra veg.
 

And if you’re really greedy, like me, some strong cheese piled on top is just delicious.
 

Balsamic Meatballs

2013-05-02 21:20:17

The rich flavours of these meatballs make them seem a lot worse for you than they actually are. Lean mince and lots of vegetables make them filling, tasty and completely good for you

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Ingredients

Enough spaghetti for your group (check the serving size on the back of the pack)

250g lean mince

1 red onion

2 carrots

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 garlic clove

For the sauce

1 garlic clove

400g can of chopped tomatoes

Balsamic vinegar

250ml beef stock

1 red pepper

2 large carrots

Instructions

Finely dice half of the red onion and the garlic clove, and finely dice the carrots. Mix them together with the mince, oregano and some seasoning. Make into about 18 meatballs. Chill these meatballs overnight

Brown the meatballs in a hot frying pan with a drizzle of oil or Fry Light, then remove them from the pan

Take a casserole dish with a lid and heat some oil/Fry Light in it. Dice the other half of the red onion, the garlic glove and the pepper and fry for a few minutes until soft. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, the stock and a good heavy glug of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer

Slice the carrots into chunky slices, add to the pot and stir. Add the meatballs and gently combine so they're evenly spread out across the sauce

Cover this and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. You should put your pasta on to cook according to the packet instructions at this point

Uncover the pot and simmer for ten minutes more to get the sauce really nice and thick. Then serve piled over the drained pasta

By Amy Jones

She Cooks, She Eats http://www.shecookssheeats.co.uk/