Hi there guys and girls.
Today I want to share one of my go to recipes with you.
I created this recipe for spaghetti & meatballs to get as much beefy, rich, delicious flavor as possible in my sauce without the need for stock cubes, garlic and onion.
I wanted to avoid the stock cubes as they are full of salt, seem to thicken the sauce before you need it and masks all the tasty natural meat flavours.
The garlic and onion were just for allergy and taste reasons so do add them if you like!
I also wanted this to be a no bother, one pot meal because boiling spaghetti in an extra pan that will need cleaning is one extra thing that stops you from relaxing!
For me this is the height of comfort food, it is slightly spicy with the help of a little cayenne pepper and chilli powder which is perfect on a rainy day or to kick that cold in the knackers!
Do use the best quality meatballs you can, or even make your own, it makes so much difference you wouldn’t believe!
I also recommend using a cast iron pan or at least a pan that doesn’t have a non stick coating to get the most flavor out of your meat!
Serve with a generous grating of cheese and maybe some garlic bread on the side?
Pepper’s One Pot Spicy Spaghetti & Meatballs
Serves 2
12 good quality meatballs 400g
200g dried spaghetti
1 can of plum tomatoes in juice 400g
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
Salt & black pepper
200ml approx water
Grated cheddar cheese to serve
Method
Put the tinned tomatoes in a blender with the dried basil, cayenne pepper with salt & black pepper to taste, blend until smooth.
Heat a large, preferably cast iron, pan on a high heat.
Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides.
Transfer them to a bowl and discard all but a small amount of the fat given off.
With the pan off of the heat, using the 200ml of water, add a small splash of water to the pan and scrape up all of the brown bits which have stuck to the bottom of the pan creating what resembles a gravy.
Place back on to a medium heat and add the meatballs back to the pan, adding the tomato sauce and giving it a stir.
On a simmer, add in the spaghetti and submerge in the sauce.
Add in the remaining water, you may not need it all, use your own discretion as pans may differ in size and shape.
Give it a stir, place on the lid and cook for 5 minutes.
Take off the lid and give a good stir, making sure the spaghetti hasn’t stuck to the bottom of your pan.
Test the spaghetti for doneness then turn up the heat to high, stirring all the time, until the sauce is thickened to your liking.
Grate over the cheddar cheese and serve!
Enjoy!
