For the meatballs
cooking bacon, very finely chopped
1 sausage (I used a higher meat version from Lidl)
20g dry stuffing mix (I used Morrisons Savers stuffing)
spray oil
a little flour
For the sauce
spray oil
quarter of an onion, thinly sliced
25g peppers (I used frozen ones from Morrisons because I waste less that way)
1 or 2 mushrooms, thinly sliced
squidge of garlic puree
passata made from last year's tomatoes (or you could use about half a can of chopped tomatoes)
a squeeze of tomato puree
herbs as liked
Method
The meatballs and sauce can be made in the same pan without needing to wash the pan in between.
Meatballs (start beforehand to allow the bacon and stuffing to cool before mixing with the sausagemeat)
In a pan, gently dry fry the chopped cooking bacon until it is cooked - it won't take very long at all.
Reconstitute the stuffing with a sufficient amount of boiling water - don't make it too sloppy. No need for salt - the meats are already salty enough
Allow the stuffing and the bacon to cool until just warm.
Remove the skin from the sausage and discard. In a bowl, mix together the bacon, sausage meat and stuffing. With floured hands, shape the mix into little meatballs. I made them big marble sized using a 10ml measuring spoon as they cook faster and it looks as if you have more!
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| (they're on a tea plate - they're not as huge as they look!) |
Spray the pan with oil, pop in the meatballs and gently fry until they are colouring, turning them now and again.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Sauce
Before you start the sauce, pop on the spaghetti to cook, then drain and keep warm.
While the spaghetti is cooking, spray oil into the pan, add the onions and fry for a few minutes until they start to soften and change colour. Then add the peppers, mushroom and squidge of garlic and fry for a bit longer.
Add the passata/chopped tomato and whatever herbs you want to use plus a tiny bit of salt. Bring up to a simmer, add the meatballs and let it all simmer gently away until the passata has reduced a bit and thickened. Taste and season if needed. If you want to add a squidge of tomato puree, do so. I did.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Toss in the spaghetti. Serve.
(a bit of hard Italian cheese (called Not Parmesan in my home) would be nice grated over - or some of the genuine stuff)
