Sam Stern's Pasta,meatballs And Tomato Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 459 g best quality minced beef
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 slices good bread, thick slices, crusts removed
• olives or sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 1/2-5 cm fresh gingerroot
• plain flour, to coat
• 1 lemon, rind of, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped herbs, thyme, coriander, parsley
• 1 egg
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onions or 2 fat shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• basil leaves, torn and whole
• good squeeze lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. add onion or shallots with a pinch of salt and cook gently for about five minutes, till soft. add garlic.
• 2 tip in tomatoes, herbs, sugar, tomato puree, seasoning, torn basil and lemon juice.
• 3 stir. leave to boil for at least 10 minutes. add a little water if it gets dry. taste and adjust seasoning.
• 4 then place the bread in large bowl. add milk. leave for 5 minutes, then squeeze dry (chuck out the milk).
• 5 heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan.cook onion and garlic gently, till soft. add to bread in bowl.
• 6 add beef, grated ginger, lemon rind, herbs, egg and salt and pepper to the bread mix. mix.
• 7 shape meat into walnut-sized balls. roll lightly in flour.
• 8 cook the meatballs gently, in oil for 10-15 minutes, till brown all over, turning them now and then.
• 9 heat the tomato sauce in a large saucepan. add meatballs. reduce heat. cover with a lid and cook gently for 15 minutes.