serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- olive oil, for cooking
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 thick slices pancetta, diced
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) chicken
- 40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra, to serve
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) dry breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) chicken stock
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) tomato purée
- 400 g (14 oz) spaghetti or linguine
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4)
Heat a small frying pan over medium–high heat. Add a splash of oil and half of the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook until fragrant, stirring often.
Tip the mixture into a bowl and add the chicken, parmesan, nutmeg, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together well, then roll into small meatballs. Pan-fry the meatballs in the same frying pan in a little oil for 5–6 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a deep baking dish.
Add the remaining diced onion, with a little oil, to the frying pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic, stock and tomato purée and bring to a simmer. Pour the tomato mixture over the meatballs, cover the baking dish with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add a good pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir until the water has returned to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook the pasta at a fast simmer for 8 minutes. Drain the pasta well and toss with the sauce. Serve with the freshly grated parmesan.
Recipe from What’s For Dinner by Michele Curtis. Published by Hardie Grant Books.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
