MEATBALL ARRABBIATA

With a spicy, rich & comforting tomato - based sauce. Mixed in with penne pasta & juicy, tender beef meatballs.

PREP 20m

COOK 20m

TOTAL 40m

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

  • 500g Beef Mince

  • 500g Penne Pasta

  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes

  • 1 ball mozzarella

  • 125g baby spinach

  • 50g red or green pesto

Sauce-

  • 600ml stock

  • 4 tbsp tomato purée

  • 3 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 tsp chilli flakes (subtle heat)

  • 2 tsp oregano

  • 3 tsp paprika

Meatballs Spices-

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 4 tsp garlic powder

  • 4 tsp paprika

  • 2 tsp oregano

Instructions:

  1. Firstly, add your meatball spices to the mince and mix well. Fry off a little mince and taste to check for seasoning. Adjust salt as necessary then roll the mince into 12 meatballs.

  2. Grab a large pan and add to a boil with a good pinch of salt.

  3. Brown your meatballs in the oil then remove and leave aside.

  4. In the same pan add the sauce seasonings, pesto, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and stock and simmer.

  5. Add the penne pasta to the salted water then taste your sauce and again check for seasoning, adjust for heat, add more salt/chilli flakes depending on personal preference.

  6. Add the meatballs back into the sauce whilst the pasta is cooking and simmer until piping hot.

  7. Drain the penne pasta once fully cooked and add the spinach back into the same pan, top with the cooked pasta and mix well.

  8. Add the meatballs and sauce to the top and finish with shredded Mozzarella.

If you have additional budget, I love to also serve with a mountain or Parmesan.