Spaghetti and Meatballs

What do you do when you have tonnes of time on your hands and are having a serious hankering for Italian yummies? You decide to cook up some mean Spaghetti and Meatballs from scratch. Then you remember that you’re trying to eat healthy. Errr… And then, like a light bulb going off in your mind, you know just how to make this classic healthy, while packing it with LOTS of amazing flavours!

I don’t know if that’s the exact way your mind works, but that’s how mine did yesterday. Hence, I ended up putting together this delicious, quick, easy and truly wholesome dish of Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs cooked in Marinara Sauce. 🙂

Here’s what you need:

For the Chicken Meatballs:

• Chicken Mince – 250 g
• Sliced Bread – 5 slices, roughly crumbed with your hands
• Eggs – 1
• Milk – 1/4 cup
• Onion – 1 small, finely cubed
• Garlic – 3 cloves, finely cubed
• Coriander – a bunch, finely chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Black Pepper – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp

For the Marinara Sauce:

• Onions – 2, finely cubed
• Garlic – 4 cloves – finely cubed
• Tomatoes – 2, finely cubed
• Tomato Puree – 400 g
• Salt – to taste
• Black Pepper – 2 tsp
• Sugar – 2 tsp
• Chilli Flakes – to taste
• Mixed Herbs – to taste

For the Spaghetti:

• Store bought Spaghetti – 250 g
• Water – 3 cups
• Salt – to taste

And here’s the super easy step-by-step recipe!

Step 1: Make the Meatballs

In a large bowl, place the chicken mince, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, red chilli powder and coriander and give it a good mix. Then using your fingers and palms, pull away little portions of the mince mix, and shape them into balls. Line the meatballs on a tray/plate, cover and place it in the freezer. Placing them in the freezer will harden them up a bit and will help them hold shape when they’re cooking in the sauce.

Step 2: Boil the Spaghetti

When the meatballs are cooking, place the spaghetti in a deep dish filled with salted water and boil it on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, or until the spaghetti is tender, yet not overcooked and mushy. Drain and leave aside.

Step 3: Make the Marinara Sauce

While the Spaghetti is cooking and the Meatballs are chilling, fry onions and garlic in a wide-bottom wok till semi-soft. Add in the chopped tomatoes and salt and saute until the tomatoes are mushed up. Then add in the tomato puree, sugar, herbs, chilli flakes and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil. When the sauce is boiling, add in the chilled meatballs, reduce heat and cover. Allow the meatballs to cook through for about 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are soft, succulent and perfect.

Step 4: Place a good serving of Spaghetti on a plate, then top it with Meatballs and Marinara sauce, grab a fork and DIG IN right away! There’s no time to waste! 😀

Everyone has their definition of the term ‘comfort food’ and this is mine. The soft Spaghetti paired with the tangy-spicy-sweet Marinara sauce and tender, flavourful Meatballs is the perfect combination of flavours and textures; and it will blow your mind!

It’s a great alternative to that ice-cream bucket we hug close on hard days (healthy alternative, people!) and is a great meal to cook up for friends and family (and those taunting relatives) to show off your culinary skills! Plus it tastes SO GOOD, you’re going to gather a fan following by the end of the meal!

This recipe serves four, so if you’re having more people over, double, triple, quadruple as you wish; it works every time! Trust me when I say that this classic Spaghetti and Meatballs meal is nourishing to both the body and the soul. You’ve got to try the recipe to believe it! 🙂