Sarah's Spaghetti meatballs

Ingredients

• 30 ml (2 tbsp)olive oil
• 1 small (85 g), finely choppedonion
• 3 cloves (7–10 g), finely choppedgarlic
• 35 gtomato paste
• 5 mldried oregano
• 5 mldried mixed herbs
• ½ tspsugar
• 2 cansItalian chopped tomatoes
• 10 gfresh basil leaves
• 10 gItalian flat-leaf parsley
• 500 gostrich mince (or beef or another mince of your choice)
• 100 g (1 small), gratedonion
• 5–7 g (2 cloves), gratedgarlic
• 30 ml (2 tbsp), choppedflat-leaf parsley
• 50 g, toasted in a pan, or 1 eggbreadcrumbs (the author uses blitzed sourdough bread)
• ½ tspHimalayan salt
• A few cracksblack pepper
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 7.5 ml (½ tbsp)dried oregano
• 1 tspmixed herbs
• 60 ml (4 tbsp)olive oil
• 500 glinguine
• 30–50 g, freshly gratedParmesan
• 30 ml (2 tbsp)pesto

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the onion

   Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a pan. Fry the finely chopped onion for 2 minutes, until translucent, then add the chopped garlic and fry for 1 minute more.

2. 2

   Cook the tomato paste

   Add the tomato paste and fry with the onion mixture for 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Season the sauce

   Stir in the dried oregano, mixed herbs and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Simmer the tomatoes

   Add the chopped tomatoes. Swirl a little water around the cans to collect the remaining tomato juices and add that to the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is thick.

5. 5

   Finish the sauce

   Stir the chopped basil and parsley into the sauce, then set it aside until needed.

6. 6

   Toast the breadcrumbs

   If using bread, blitz it into fine crumbs, then dry-fry the crumbs in a pan until toasted.

7. 7

   Mix the meatballs

   In a separate bowl, combine the mince, grated onion and garlic, chopped parsley, toasted breadcrumbs or egg, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and mixed herbs. Mix until evenly blended.

8. 8

   Shape the meatballs

   Shape the mixture into torpedo-shaped meatballs weighing 30–35 g each; the mixture should make about 18.

9. 9

   Brown the meatballs

   Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a pan. Once hot, brown the meatballs for about 2–3 minutes, turn them and brown the other side.

10. 10

    Assemble the bake

    Arrange the meatballs in a 23 cm × 23 cm ovenproof casserole dish and pour over the tomato sauce. Add pesto if you like, then grate the Parmesan over the top and dot with more pesto if desired.

11. 11

    Bake the meatballs

    Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.

12. 12

    Serve with linguine

    Serve the meatballs and sauce with cooked linguine. The recipe suggests about 3 meatballs per person, with salad and garlic bread alongside.

What are Napoletana meatballs?

Napoletana sauce is a tomato-based Italian-style sauce, here simmered with onion, garlic and herbs before it is baked with meatballs. The recipe combines that sauce with pasta for a filling, family-style meal.

This version uses ostrich mince, though the author also suggests beef or another mince. Browning the meatballs first and reducing the sauce help build a savoury, concentrated flavour.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 700 calories, 43g protein, 90g carbs, 22g fat.

The linguine and breadcrumbs supply most of the carbohydrate, while olive oil, Parmesan and pesto contribute much of the fat. Mince, Parmesan and the pasta provide protein. Serve with salad and adjust the pasta portion to balance the plate; nutrition is estimated and will vary with the mince and optional ingredients.

Build flavour in the sauce

Tomato paste: frying it with the onion for 2 minutes gives the sauce a deeper tomato flavour. The sugar is included to balance the tomatoes’ acidity.

Tomatoes: choose chopped tomatoes you enjoy, and simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes. It should thicken as some of its liquid cooks away.

Fresh herbs: basil and parsley go in after the simmer, keeping their fresh character in the finished sauce.

Choose your meatball binder

Breadcrumbs: toasted crumbs made from sourdough or another bread bring a gently savoury flavour and help bind the mixture.

Egg: the recipe offers 1 egg as an alternative to the 50 g breadcrumbs. Use one option, not both, and mix until the ingredients are evenly combined.

Brown before baking

Give the meatballs about 2–3 minutes on the first side, then turn and brown the other side. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage; they finish cooking in the oven.

Handle the mixture gently while shaping 30–35 g torpedoes. Keeping them a similar size helps them cook at the same rate in the casserole.

What to look for

The sauce should be thick rather than watery after its 30-minute simmer. A thinner sauce will still work, but it may make the bake looser.

The recipe bakes the assembled meatballs at 180°C for 30 minutes. Check that the meatballs are cooked through before serving, as cooking time can vary with their size and the oven.

Pasta and serving

Cook the linguine separately and serve it with the meatballs and sauce; the method does not specify a pasta-cooking time. The listed amount is 500 g for 6 servings.

A simple salad and garlic bread are suggested accompaniments. For a less substantial plate, serve a smaller amount of pasta and add salad; for extra richness, include the optional pesto and Parmesan.

Recipe notes & tips

• Let the tomato sauce simmer until thick so it does not make the bake watery.
• Use a little water to rinse the remaining tomato juices from the cans into the sauce.
• Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan if using bread for a deeper flavour.
• Shape the meatballs to a similar size so they cook evenly.
• Add pesto to the casserole only if you want its distinctive flavour; the recipe treats it as optional.
• Grate the Parmesan freshly over the assembled dish before baking.

Variations

• Swap the mince: use beef or another mince instead of ostrich, as suggested in the recipe.
• Use egg: replace the 50 g breadcrumbs with 1 egg as the alternative binder.
• Choose the pasta: serve with spaghetti instead of the listed linguine.
• Add mozzarella: use it in place of or alongside the Parmesan for a more stretchy topping.
• Adjust the pesto: leave it out, or dot some over the meatballs and cheese before baking.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the browning: the meatballs miss a layer of flavour; brown both sides before baking.
• Watery sauce: it can leave the casserole loose; simmer it for about 30 minutes until thick.
• Uneven meatballs: they may cook at different rates; shape them to a similar 30–35 g size.
• Overmixing: dense meatballs can result; mix only until the ingredients are evenly combined.
• Forgetting the pasta: the bake is served with pasta rather than baked with it; cook the linguine separately.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover meatballs and sauce in a covered container for up to 3 days. Store cooked pasta separately if possible, and reheat the meatballs and sauce until piping hot; add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. Keep garlic bread and salad separate.

Frequently asked questions