These meatballs are fresh tasting and light. It is important to use very lean minced/ground beef, however you can used any type of mince including pork, venison, turkey or chicken.

Always serve with a green salad which adds to the freshness of the dish.

Use whatever pasta you like including gluten free or wholemeal. We like to use spirals and toss them in with the meatballs and sauce, but often serve the sauce and balls over spaghetti or similar flat pasta.

Use about 2 cups of cooked pasta if you are using spirals or, if you are using spaghetti and spooning the meatballs and sauce on top, use 1 serving of pasta per person.

For 6–8 servings you will need:

• pasta of your choice for 6-8 servings (see notes above)

The Balls

• 500–750 grams/1–1 ¼ lbs of lean mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp stock powder, we like Rapunzel organic vegetable bouillon
• 3 slices stale bread, we like a light wholemeal bread
• 1 egg
• small slosh of milk, about a Tbsp
• 2 tsp relish or chutney, tomato or corn work well
• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
• try a bit of this and a bit of that in the herb/spice line if you wish, for example Tuscan seasioning

Method:

Firstly cook the pasta spirals at a rolling boil for about 10 minutes until el dente.

Drain, rinse and set aside. You may want to add a dash of olive oil at this stage to keep the pasta separated.

If you are using spaghetti, cook it later while you are simmering the meatballs in the sauce.

Use a food processor if you have one. With the chopping blade in place, dice the onion and parsley and then add the bread to make crumbs. Pulse to combine.

Change the blade from the chopping to the mixing blade and add all other ingredients and pulse to combine, this can be done with the hands also.

With slightly wet hands, roll the mince mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball.

Set aside in the fridge while you make the sauce.

For the sauce you will need:

• dash of olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 bell pepper, diced, any colour
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp stock powder
• 2  13 oz/410 gms cans of chopped tomatoes, use Italian flavoured tomatoes if they are available
• 1  can of water
• lots of freshly chopped parsley and basil
• slosh of red wine if you have some left from dinner the evening before

Method:

In a large pan or wok, sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and lightly coloured.

Add garlic and bell peppers and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook for another minute.

Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.

At this stage the meatballs go into the sauce — we don’t bother browning them prior, just plop them in carefully.

Continue to simmer the sauce uncovered for about 20 minutes until it is reduced and the meatballs are cooked, turing the meatballs halfway through the cooking time.

If the sauce is reducing too much, add a lid to the pan for the remainder of the cooking.

Meanwhile, if you are serving the meatballs over spaghetti, now is the time to cook it according to the direction on the back of the package. It usually takes about 10–15  minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the dish if you are using spirals and mix to combine.

If using spaghetti, remove from the heat and drain. Place it on a large serving platter or bowl and pour the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti.

Serve with a small sprinkling of grated cheese, a basil leaf or two, and maybe a dollop of light sour cream.

Team with a green salad on the side as these meatballs and a green salad are a match made in heaven.