Pasta with Meatballs
Serves 6·Added 5 May 2026 by Tom Melhuish
Main
Ingredients
| 250 | g | minced pork |
| 250 | g | minced beef |
| 1 | egg | |
| 2 | tablespoons | parmesan(freshly grated) |
| 1 | garlic clove(minced) | |
| 1 | teaspoon | dried oregano |
| 3 | tablespoons | semolina or breadcrumbs |
| black pepper(good grind) | ||
| 1 | teaspoon | salt |
| 1 | onion | |
| 2 | garlic cloves | |
| 1 | teaspoon | dried oregano |
| 1 | tablespoon | unsalted butter |
| 1 | tablespoon | olive oil(not extra-virgin) |
| 700 | g | tomato passata(1 bottle) |
| pinch | sugar | |
| salt and pepper | ||
| 100 | ml | full-fat milk |
Method
1.Put everything for the meatballs in a large bowl and, 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.
2.Put the onion, garlic, and oregano for the sauce into a processor and blitz to a pulp.
3.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, until soft.
4.Add the bottle of passata, half-fill the empty bottle with cold water, and add this to the pan along with a pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes.
5.Stir in the milk, then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown. Cook for about 20 minutes with the lid partially covering the pan. Check the seasoning before serving.
Recipe Notes
AI · may be inaccurate
Substitutions
- semolina → breadcrumbs (interchangeable binder)
- extra-virgin olive oil → standard olive oil (specified in recipe)
Tips
The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small; use about a teaspoon's amount of mince to roll each ball.
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