Corn Spaghetti with Lamb, Garlic and Parsley Meatballs

If there ever was a comfort food for husbands, spaghetti and meatballs will be the one.

I prefer a vegetarian diet, with lots of juices and salads, but my husband craves for pasta and meat. When you are in love with the man, you only have one option: preparing his favorite food, but…..and there is a big BUT here, make it unforgettable.

First, stop using old tasteless boring recipes and take a leap into a more creative as well as healthy approach to this dish. When you try my recipe, let me know if it didn’t bring a smile to his face when you served it. Oh, I nearly forgot, watch out for the tomato saucy slurping kiss that will follow! You have been warned!

This dish is wheat and gluten free, I also chose lamb because they are fed on grass and the meat doesn’t contain as many antibiotics or any other kind of chemicals that as beef. To an healthier diet!

Corn Spaghetti with Lamb, Garlic and Parsley Meatballs

Ingredients for 2 serving:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 30g unsalted butter, (1oz)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 16 lamb garlic and parsley meatballs, defrosted (see following recipe)
• 250g corn spaghetti, (9oz)
• 1 tsp flat leaves parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan.
• Add the chopped onion until translucent, then add carrot, celery and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped rosemary and the butter. When the butter is fully melted turn the heat to high then add the dry sherry.
• Cook it through for a few minutes then turn the heat to medium, add chopped tomato. Rinse the can of tomatoes with 2 tbsp water and add it to the pan.
• Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper then bring to a gentle simmer.
• Add the defrosted meatballs and leave to cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• In the meantime cook the spaghetti. When cooked, drain well, stir in 1 tbsp oil and 2/3 of the chopped parsley. Keep warm.
• Carefully remove half of the meatballs from the pan and a couple of tbsp of sauce. Keep warm.
• Stir the remaining sauce and meatballs with the spaghetti. Serve in hot plates, topping with the reserved meatballs , sauce and the remaining chopped parsley.

Tips:

• To achieve best results, time carefully when to start cooking the pasta.
• Make sure you have a large enough saucepan full of water on the hob when you start to cook the sauce. Then add sea salt and bring to the boil.
• You should add the pasta to the boiling water when you add the meatballs to the sauce.
• If the pasta is taking longer to cook, turn down the meatballs, stiring well to make sure that you don’t dry them out.
• To get the right consistency for the sauce, add 1 or 2 tbsp of water and keep cooking gently until your pasta is ready.
• If you prefer your sauce with a richer flavour just add another generous tsp of butter.

Lamb, Garlic and Parsley Meatballs

Ingredients for 8/10 serving:

• 1 Kg lamb mince, ( 2lb 3oz)
• 1 free range or organic egg, slightly beaten
• 3 tbsp flat leaves parsley, finely chopped
• 2 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and with a fork mix them well.
• Press gently all the ingredients in one big ball then cover with cling film and leave to rest overnight in the fridge. This step will help the flavours to develop.
• Remove the meat from the fridge, then start to roll into even size meatballs, more or less like the size of a large cherry.
• Meat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook the meatballs in batches for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

Tips:

• These meatballs are perfect for home freezing. All you have to do after cooking them properly, is leave them to cool. Then place them in a freezer bag, trying to expel as much air as possible then seal.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. Before reheating, thaw the meatballs in the fridge overnight.