1 large or 2 small brown onions
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 thick slices day-old bread
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
300g beef mince or a combination of pork and beef mince
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 x 600ml bottle passata
300g spaghetti or fettuccine
parmesan to serve
Peel and roughly chop one small onion or half the large one, then add to the bowl of a food processor and set the other half to one side. Add one clove chopped garlic to the onion. Soak the bread slices in a little warm water for 20 seconds then squeeze the water out and add the damp bread to the onion, together with salt and pepper.
Process on low until the onion is chopped and the breadcrumbs are fine, then add the mince, parsley, and about 3 tbsp of milk and process until the meat mixture is smooth and well combined.
Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture into balls between slightly damp hands and place them on a clean plate.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based large saucepan or a deep frypan over medium heat. Add the meatballs, a few at a time and gently brown them on all sides. Remove them and set aside to drain on paper towel while you finish cooking them in batches.
Finely dice the remaining onion and garlic. Use the same cooking pan as before and add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onion softens and starts to turn colour. Add tinned tomatoes, 1 cup water and the bottle of passata and bring to the boil, scraping up the bits off the bottom of the pan and stirring them through the sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of sea salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low.
Fill a large pasta pot with cold water, cover and bring to the boil.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Increase the heat slightly and remove the lid from the pot and let the sauce reduce and thicken over the next 10 minutes while you cook the pasta.
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes according to the directions on the packet or until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and return to the hot pot.
Serve the spaghetti piled high in the bottom of shallow bowls and pile the meatballs and sauce on top. Pass around the parmesan cheese and let everyone help themselves.
(thanks to Sandra at The $120 Food Challenge)
