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Mama's Manhattan Meatballs

Serves 4 Cooking Time 40 minutes

You will need...

  • 1 jar of Ragu Original Smooth Bolognese Pasta Sauce
  • 8 good-quality pork sausages
  • 1kg beef mince
  • 1 onion
  • ½ a large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 85g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve if you like
  • 100g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
  • olive oil, for roasting
  • spaghetti, to serve

Method

  1. First make the meatballs. Split the skins of 8 good-quality pork sausages and squeeze out the meat into your largest mixing bowl.
  2. Add 1kg beef mince, 1 finely chopped onion, ½ large bunch flat-leaf parsley, 85g grated parmesan, 100g fresh breadcrumbs, 2 beaten eggs and lots of seasoning. Get your hands in and mix together really well – the more you squeeze and mash the mince, the more tender the meatballs will be.
  3. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
  4. Roll the mince mixture into about 50 golf-ball-size meatballs. Set aside any meatballs for freezing, allowing about 5 per portion, then spread the rest out in a large roasting tin – the meatballs will brown better if spaced out a bit.
  1. Drizzle with a little oil (about 1 tsp per portion), shake to coat, then roast for 20-30 mins until browned.
  2. Add the sauce to the cooked meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in a few basil leaves, if using, spoon out any portions for freezing, then add the cooked meatballs to the pan to keep warm while you boil the spaghetti (you'll need about 100g per portion).
  3. Spoon the sauce and meatballs over spaghetti, or stir them all together and serve with extra parmesan and a few basil leaves, if you like.