Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American dish developed by Italian immigrants in the US during the early 20th century. In Italy, meatballs (polpette) and pasta exist separately; the combination is distinctly American... and it's delicious so we're making them.

I've used a 50/50 blend of beef and pork mince for the meatballs. The beef provides structure and flavour, while the pork’s higher fat content keeps the meatballs moist through browning and simmering. The panade (dried breadcrumbs soaked in milk) acts as a binder and moisture trap, so the meatballs stay tender even after 20 minutes cooking in the tomato sauce.

We're starting the sauce with a soffritto: grated onion, celery and carrot cooked down until soft, which gives a rounded sweetness that balances the acidity of the passata. Grating rather than chopping the vegetables means they cook faster and break down fully into the sauce. The meatballs are browned first to develop a crust, then returned to the sauce to finish cooking through, absorbing the tomato as the sauce simmers. Finishing with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan at the table adds richness at the point of serving, where neither gets lost in the heat.

Ingredient Notes

Beef and pork mince: A 50/50 blend. Beef alone produces a denser, chewier meatball with a stronger flavour but less moisture. Pork alone is softer and fattier but milder. Combined, the pork fat keeps the meatball juicy while the beef carries the flavour. Use mince with at least 20% fat in both; extra lean mince will produce a dry, tight result.

Dried breadcrumbs: Standard fine dried breadcrumbs work better here than panko. Panko has a coarser, more open crumb that suits fresh-cheese mixtures like ricotta. Fine dried breadcrumbs absorb the milk more fully and give a tighter, more uniform texture that holds together well when the meatball is browned and simmered.

Passata: Passata is uncooked, strained tomatoes with no added seasoning. It forms the base of the sauce and cooks down further with the soffritto and meatballs. Don’t use a pre-seasoned jar of pasta sauce here; the added sugar, salt and herbs in commercial sauces can make the finished dish taste over-seasoned and sweet.

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Box grater (for onion, celery and carrot)
• Large mixing bowl
• Large heavy-based frying pan with lid
• Tongs
• Large saucepan (for pasta)
• Colander