you can’t beat the classics
Today’s recipe is a hubby special.
And by that I mean he requested it. It’s so rare that hubby makes a specific request when I’m meal planning that I feel duty bound to fufill it.
Plus I love to feed him, so there’s that.
my plate of balls [snigger]
Feel free to leave out the cream if you’re not a fan of dairy. The wonderful tomatoey taste will still be there.
saucy!
Italian Meatballs & Creamy Tomato Sauce (serves 3-4)
Sauce
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 tbsps tomato paste
- 6 large leaves (around 3 tbsps) fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tsps dried oregano
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 button mushrooms, finely chopped
- a handful of fresh spinach
- 2 tbsps EVOO
- 2 tbsps water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsps heavy cream (optional)
- Gently fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, water and herbs.
- Simmer over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes until it forms a thick sauce. If you are using cream, stir it in just before serving.
Meatballs (makes around 9)
- 1lb ground beef
- 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and form into small balls about an inch thick.
- If you have time, cover and chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes. If not then cook them straight away but be warned – chilling makes them hold together better.
- Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, turning once so they brown on both sides.
- Serve with sauce.
spaghetti and parmesan optional (ha! as if cheese is ever optional)
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Yum. I’m lactose intolerant but can improvise – nice to know I can ignore the cream altogether
Yeah, it’ll still be yum – sometimes you just need to pass on the cream, I understand
Goat or soya cream would work for me, and I love the creamy sauces my husband concocts
good idea with the flax seeds, i usually use almond or coconut flour as the binding agent. but i bet the flax adds a nice flavor
Yep, very subtle but nutty…I can’t claim to be all that creative – just had a ton left over from something else!
Yup, I can see why this is a fave! Love the flaxseeds idea. I’ve got a bag of flaxseed meal in my fridge, and I’ve been waiting to put it to good use.
I was exactly the same Robin! That stuff is so useful for many dishes…
I’m toeing the GF line–getting a bit too far across back into Glutenland–and my belly doesn’t like it! So, I need to get back into the flaxmeal. Thanks for the yummy reminders.
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™ and commented:
Being that I was born in Sicily, and raised in a Sicilian kitchen & spent all my formative years in that Sicilian kitchen….life is all about Spaghetti & meatballs. It takes me two days to cook a proper red sauce, I will try this one by Ms. Cat from “Things My Belly Likes” on Sunday, and report back just how good it is….or is not!!
Delicious!
Yum! That tomato sauce especially looks fantastic. I love that beautiful orange color!
Thanks Carrie!
I cooked this recipe today, it was spectacular Ms. Cat. I have adopted U as my honorary Sicilian sistah from another mister.
Aww thanks J, I am truly honoured – and thanks for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it. I will try to live up to my new title! Have a happy Monday
I can’t wait till tomato season is here! This would be great with tomatoes from the back yard….and peppers, onions, garlic and oregano…oh boy I’m hungry now!
Oooh fresh, homegrown tomatoes?! You’re right, that would be awesome. I better start planting!
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Sounds good but I would leave out the oregano from both recpes. Oregano is very bitter and overpowering. The recipes don’t need it. I have been making my Italian-born mother in law’s authentic Italian recpe’s for 30 years. She was the best cook ever born, and I’m. Not exagerating. She always put milk/cream as well as a little butter in her sauce at the end but she only used oregano when making a sauce for pizza, never for a pasta sauce.