This easy meatballs and spaghetti recipe, by Buddy Oliver’s Let’s Cook: Fun, easy recipes for kids, is a family favourite with a healthy twist—grated veggies hidden in the mix! In just over an hour, you’ll have 30 juicy meatballs simmering in a rich tomato sauce, served over spaghetti. Perfect for weeknight dinners, it’s a delicious and wholesome meal that serves six.
Ingredients for Meatballs and Sauce
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 courgette
- 6 chestnut mushrooms
- Olive oil
- 200g lean higher-welfare minced beef
- 200g lean higher-welfare minced pork
- 50g wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 20g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1 x 690g jar of passata
- 450g dried spaghetti
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method for Perfect Meatballs and Pasta
- Peel the onion and 2 cloves of garlic, then coarsely grate them along with the courgette and mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the grated vegetables, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a mixing bowl and let them cool. Add the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, most of the grated Parmesan, and the egg. Season with black pepper and mix together well.
- With wet hands, shape the mixture into 30 small meatballs. Place them on a tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown all over.
- Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic cloves. Move the meatballs to create space in the pan, add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the passata and gently shake the pan to mix. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- While the meatballs are cooking, boil the spaghetti in salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a mugful of the cooking water.
- Toss the spaghetti in the meatball pan, using some of the reserved pasta water to loosen if needed. Serve the meatballs on top, and finish with a grating of Parmesan.
Recipes from Let’s Cook: Fun, easy recipes for kids by Buddy Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph ©Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2024 Let’s Cook). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2024.
