Pass It On Meatballs

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Elin al'Nia’s daughter

Ingredients:
• 12 Jacob’s cream crackers (if you can’t get hold of these, use matzo or saltine crackers)
• 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 500g good-quality minced beef, pork, or a mixture of the two
• 1 heaped tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 400g dried spaghetti or penne
• a bunch of fresh basil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ a fresh or dried red chili
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese, for grating

How to make it:
• Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and finely chop them
• Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits up with your hands.
• Add to the bowl with the mustard, minced meat, oregano and rosemary
• Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• With clean hands scrunch and mix up well.
• Divide into 4 large balls.
• With wet hands, divide each ball into 6 and roll into little meatballs – you should end up with 24.
• Drizzle them with olive oil and jiggle them about so they all get coated.
• Put them on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed.

How to cook it:
• Pick the basil leaves, keeping any smaller ones to one side for later.
• Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic.
• Finely slice the chili.
• Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
• Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat with 2 lugs of olive oil.
• Add your onion and stir for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden.
• Then add your garlic and chilli and as soon as they start to get some colour, add the large basil leaves.
• Add the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar.
• Bring to the boil and season to taste.
• Meanwhile, heat another large frying pan and add a lug of olive oil and your meatballs.
• Stir them around and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden (check they’re cooked by opening one up – there should be no sign of pink).
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer until the pasta is ready.
• Remove from the heat.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.

To Serve Your Meatballs:
• Saving some of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander.
• Return the pasta to the pan.
• Spoon half the tomato sauce into the pasta, adding a little splash of your reserved water to loosen.
• Serve on a large platter, or in separate bowls, with the rest of the sauce and meatballs on top.
• Sprinkle over the small basil leaves and some extra grated Parmesan.
• This recipe is really nice with the everyday chopped green salad on the side.

Pass this recipe on to two friends, who in turn have to pass it on to two more, who it turn pass it on …