Spaghetti and Meat Balls

This is a recipe that we recently learnt and became one of our favs: Spaghetti and Meat Balls. It is delicious and it will feed you for three days. On the next day, you can make meatball sandwiches on ciabatta bread for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of spaghetti
• salt

For the meatballs

• 1 pound of ground beef (you can use other types of meat (or a mixture), such as pork, veal or lamb)
• 2 table spoons of white wine (dry)
• 1 beaten eggs
• 4 cloves of gralic finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• sea salt
• pepper
• 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil

 For the tomato sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large can of tomato sauce (we like 100% natural Hunt's tomato sauce)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of cilantro
• pinch red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• pepper

Directions:
For the meatballs:
Combine the following ingredients in a medium bowl: beef, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro and wine. Mix it together carefully and leave it in the fridge for 5 hours (or overnight). After that add the egg and the bread crumbs into the mixture and roll it into approx.1 1/2-inch balls.

Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry until golden brown, but not necessarily cooked through completely. (Remove with into a plate).

For the Tomato Sauce:
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft adn golden. Add tomato sauce, cilantro, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer for for 15-20 minustes. Remove from the heat and puree the sauce with an immersion blender (be careful to not burn your self). Put the pan on the heat again and add the bay leaf and the meatballs into the pan (as well as any left over oil from frying the meat balls). As soon as it boil, bring the heat to low and let it simmer for more 20-30 minutes (put a lid on the pan).

For the Spaghetti:

Bring salt and water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for about 10-12 minutes in medium-low heat. Drain well, serve with the meat balls in the tomato sauce. You can garnish with more cilantro and/or add some Parmesan cheese.