Spaghetti & Beef Meatballs

For the meatballs, place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season well, and mix thoroughly with your fingertips. Form 24 walnut-sized meatballs, cover with cling film, and allow to rest for 30 minutes. This will help them retain their shape on cooking. Heat the oil in a large frying pan with high sides. Fry the meatballs over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are browned, but not cooked through. Remove them from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the sauce, add the onion to the same pan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not brown. Scrape up any residue left in the pan from the meatballs, as this will flavour the sauce. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, and chopped parsley and season well. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 30 minutes until reduced and thickened. If the sauce looks too thick, add a little water. You can also make the sauce smoother, if you prefer, by either mashing it with a potato masher or using a hand-held blender.

Boil a large pan of salted water for the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions. Add the meatballs to the sauce 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Turn them so that they are well covered in the sauce, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook, covered, until the spaghetti is ready. Drain the spaghetti and toss with the meatballs and sauce before serving with extra Parmesan, if you prefer.