Meatballs
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA BITESIntroduction
The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don’t actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon’s amount of mince to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these. But otherwise, they’re easy enough, and the slow repetitiveness of the action can be rather calming.
To go with these divine meatballs, I like tagliatelle. De Cecco, Spinosi or Cipriani brands are all very good, but making fresh pasta is an experience worth trying. No one’s saying you have to make it, but once you try, you’ll soon see that it’s not difficult.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don’t actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon’s amount of mince to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these. But otherwise, they’re easy enough, and the slow repetitiveness of the action can be rather calming.
To go with these divine meatballs, I like tagliatelle. De Cecco, Spinosi or Cipriani brands are all very good, but making fresh pasta is an experience worth trying. No one’s saying you have to make it, but once you try, you’ll soon see that it’s not difficult.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 6
For the Meatballs
- 250 grams minced pork
- 250 grams minced beef
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons semolina or breadcrumbs
- good grinding black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin)
- 700 grams tomato passata or chopped tomatoes whizzed to a puree
- 1 pinch of sugar
- Maldon sea salt flakes
- pepper
- 100 millilitres full fat milk
For the Meatballs
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons semolina or breadcrumbs
- good grinding black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin)
- 3 cups tomato passata or chopped tomatoes whizzed to a puree
- 1 pinch of sugar
- kosher salt
- pepper
- ½ cup whole milk
Method
For the meatballs:
- Just put everything in a large bowl and then, using your hands, mix to combine before shaping into small balls.
- Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put each in the fridge as you finish them.
For the tomato sauce:
- Put the onion, garlic and oregano into the processor and blitz to a pulp.
- Heat the butter and oil in a deep, wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Don’t let the mixture catch, just let it become soft.
- Add the tomato passata and then half-fill the empty bottle with cold water (approx. 300-350ml / 1¼ cups water). Add this to the pan with the pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don’t worry as it will thicken a little later.
- Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don’t stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don’t want to break them up.
- Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning, as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.
For the meatballs:
- Just put everything in a large bowl and then, using your hands, mix to combine before shaping into small balls.
- Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put each in the fridge as you finish them.
For the tomato sauce:
- Put the onion, garlic and oregano into the processor and blitz to a pulp.
- Heat the butter and oil in a deep, wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Don’t let the mixture catch, just let it become soft.
- Add the tomato passata and then half-fill the empty bottle with cold water (approx. 300-350ml / 1¼ cups water). Add this to the pan with the pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don’t worry as it will thicken a little later.
- Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don’t stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don’t want to break them up.
- Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning, as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.
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Show more commentsMade this recipe last night for my boyfriend and I, it was absolutely delicious - loved every bite and such a pleasure not having to brown the balls! One Tip - I would recommend using only a little butter, I used slightly too much and it made the dish quite rich.
This is my go to meatball recipe. I have been making them this way, since Nigella's book came out. I defy anyone not to like them.
Have been making this recipe for years now. One of my (and my son's) favourite recipes with pasta! I make tiny meatballs, don't even bother making them round. Just scoop a tiny bit with a half tsp measuring spoon and throw it in the sauce...yummmm!!!
Very nice meatballs. My daughter said she wants to be the next Nigella!
Made this with the my young daughters, so easy and absolutely delicious.
This really a wonderful one to share. Personally, making meatballs with my mother is something that I have put off for close to two decades..no longer have I.
Best pasta and meatballs recipe ever! The addition of milk to the sauce brilliantly offsets the acidity of the tomato passata. Ultimate comfort food.
It was so delicious & easy to make. Thank you.
I've used this recipe for years. Not needing to brown the meatballs is the best part. Any pasta is fine but I prefer egg noodles.
I will teach my kids this recipe for when they leave home and fend for themselves. So easy and utterly delicious. Great with spaghetti or on soft finger buns as a meatball sub.
This looks delicious, I have an electric pressure cooker, I’ll definitely be using this recipe, MINUS one thing but PLUS another. While watching a cooking programme, I discovered that, after years of not enjoying any type of mince mixture which contained eggs, that the egg white has a very distinct and (to me) unpleasant taste, so I use two yolks instead of one whole egg.
This is a nice recipe but would brown the meatballs 1st next time as found they gave off to much oil cooking in the sauce and were a bit soft in texture.