Cooking for 2: Hearty Spicy Tomato Meatballs with Spaghetti

Living in KL is by no means cheap, especially when it comes to eating out. And being broke from the wedding, Wilson and I embarked on an experiment to eat at home on a budget. Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s version of meatball pasta, here’s one of our cheap, quick and easy recipe for two:

HEARTY SPICY TOMATO MEATBALLS WITH SPAGHETTI

Hearty Spicy Tomato Meatballs with Spaghetti: Homemade and full of lovin’.

Ingredients:

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 large brown onion
• Heaps of garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chilli padi
• Dry or fresh herbs – oregano, rosemary, basil, a bay leaf or whatever you’ve got lying around
• A pack of minced beef (or pork/ chicken/ veal, or mix it up for a deeper texture)
• Leftover wine from last night’s party (because that’s how we roll)
• Breadcrumbs (chopped or blended in a food processor)
• Your favorite pasta

Total cost: ~RM15 for two!

Step 1: Toss in herbs, salt, cracked pepper and chopped garlic to your mince. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and get those hands dirty to mix it up.

Step 2: Add in your breadcrumbs – the secret ingredient to keep it all together! Or so Wilson says.

Step 3: The fun part – roll your meatballs in to round balls (or squares if you so desire). Grill them til they brown. For maximum amusement, get a kid to help you out.

Step 4: Getting saucy now. For the tomato sauce, I like using fresh tomatoes in stead of canned ones but substitutable either way. Slit little crosses in them and soak or boil them in hot water for a couple of minutes. Tomato skin will magically start peeling!

Step 5: Fry your garlic, onions until brown then add your tomatoes and cook til they soften. Add in your herbs, salt and pepper to taste. I added a few chopped chilli padi for that extra kick — Malaysian mah.

Step 6: If in doubt, add some wine.

Step 7: Stir in your meatballs. You’re almost done!

Step 8: Plate up with your favorite pasta and share it with your favorite person. Eat!

If you enjoyed this recipe (cooking or eating it) – share it with a friend! 🙂