Spaghetti with meatball sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400g spaghetti
• 500 g tomatoes, pureed
• 500 g minced meat, half and half
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 small potato(s), cooked
• 1 tsp, heaped marjoram, shredded (optional)
• some parsley, freshly chopped or shredded
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg(s)
• olive oil
• some chili (pepperoncino, piri piri, whatever you have)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• some flour
• n.e. Oregano, freshly chopped, or shredded
• n.e. Thyme, freshly chopped, or shredded
• e.g. basil, freshly chopped or shredded
• Sugar
• possibly Parmesan, freshly grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

This recipe is my own creation, based on the American “Spaghetti with Meatballs,” but was inspired by various recipes, including American ones. It’s very popular, especially with young guests. First, prepare the meatball mixture, form it, and fry it. If you don’t have any cooked potatoes left over, boil one first. Finely chop the parsley and onion, peel the potato, and mash it finely. Mix the parsley, onion, potato, and egg with the ground meat. Knead in salt, pepper, and, if desired, marjoram, and season to taste. Dust the work surface with flour, form the meatball mixture into walnut-sized balls, and place them on the floured surface. Then dust lightly with flour again and, if necessary, roll them in flour. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the balls slowly over medium heat until a light brown crust has formed. Do not overcook, turning occasionally. Now it’s time to prepare the sauce: Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside, but leave the cooking juices in the pan. Use the passata to loosen the cooking juices. Add the tomato paste and sugar and stir to combine. Continue simmering the sauce and season to taste with chili, pepper, a little salt, sugar, oregano, thyme, and basil. You don’t need much sugar, but it’s absolutely necessary to give the tomatoes a fruity, rounded flavor. We come to the finale. Once the sauce is seasoned, add the meatballs and simmer briefly over low heat. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water until al dente. Do not add any oil to the water, and do not rinse the cooked spaghetti after draining. Both are bad habits in German cooking, as the sauce will not stick as well. Mix the sauce with the cooked spaghetti and let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes with the heat off. The dish can be garnished with freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped basil.