Spaghetti and Meatballs with a Cheese Topping

I have been wanting to make spaghetti and meatballs for ages, its one of those comforting dishes that is lovely at any time of year, and when I saw meatballs on offer in Sainsburys, I had to buy them! I apologise for the horrible photograph, I had a hungry mouth to feed and it just didn't seem to come out right no matter how much I fiddled with the camera.



I used a recipe from the Top 100 Pasta Sauces by Diane Seed, but adapted it a little as I had no white wine, I used red wine instead, and I had a ball of mozzarella that needed using up, and turned it into a kind of meat ball bake. When the meat balls had had an hour of cooking on the stove I covered the top in a layer of mozzarella cheese and then put it under the grill until the cheese had melted and browned. I then served the whole lot on top of some spaghetti. It actually worked really well. The stringy cheese was a nice addition to the dish.

I am adding this to Presto Pasta Nights this week hosted by Hillary of Chew on That , don't forget to check out her blog or the website on Friday for the round up.

Spaghetti con Polpettine (adapted from Top 100 Pasta Sauces)

500g spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic
400g lean boneless veal, pork or beef
2 small slices of white bread, crusts removed
parsley
100g parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
salt and pepper
flour
3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 wineglass white wine
400g tin of plum or chopped tomatoes
stock

Work the garlic and meat in a food processor, then add the bread, chopped parsley and half the grated cheese. Mix thoroughly with the eggs and season to taste. Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut and flour lightly.

Heat the oil, add finely chopped onion and cook until it has softened but not browned. Add the meat balls and cook over a low heat until lightly browned on all sides. Now add the wine and boil to reduce to half the quantity. Add the tinned tomatoes and a very little stock, cover and cook for about 1 hour.

Cook the pasta according to packet directions, stir the sauce and meatballs into the pasta and serve.