Hunter is HUUUUGE on pasta. Or noodles. He simply loves squiggly food, I guess!

And Chris was also complaining that it’d been ages since I’d last cooked pasta for dinner. And so, pasta it was that night 🙂

I had some beef mince and pork mince in the freezer, so voila, MEATBALLS! I’m always a fan of using up whatever’s in your fridge (or freezer), before running out to buy more groceries.

After the meatballs were cooked in the oven, I popped together a tomato-based sauce and just threw in all the ingredients and veggies I found lurking around – carrots, long beans, mushrooms, frozen bacon, onion, etc… and a can of diced tomatoes that became the main part of the sauce!

For added taste, I added in a splash (otherwise known as 2 glasses) of red wine.

Because the smell of red wine cooking in a pasta sauce is divine. 

And it also means I get a swig or two whilst I’m slaving over the stove and all. Win-win.

It turned out pretty well! The sauce was flavourful without being salty, and I REALLY liked the meatballs – they were soooo tender. I would probably add salt in future to the meatball mixture though, just to give it a bit more of a kick. I didn’t in this case because I tend to make no-salt homecooked food because of the kids. I always believe that a good dose of herbs and a big sprinkle of freshly cracked pepper is enough to bring out beautiful flavours in the ingredients, without resorting to adding salt into my cooking!

Recipe: Meatballs

1. Mix 250g mince beef, 250g mince pork, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 onion (diced), 1/4 cup milk. Add salt/pepper to taste. Form into round balls onto baking tray.
2. Bake at 180 celcius for approx 20 mins (or until they are brown on the outside and cooked through).

Recipe: Pasta sauce with meatballs

1. Fry diced onion and crushed garlic in olive oil until softened.
2. Add in chopped bacon and fry until browned.
3. Add vegetables (eg. diced carrots, beans, mushrooms) – you can steam the carrots and beans first if you like them soft.
4. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 10 mins.
5. Add red wine (I used 2 cups) and simmer uncovered for 10 mins.
6. Add 1 small tub of cooking cream and turn off heat (this is optional and I didn’t do it, but I’d do this in future because it makes a tomato-cream sauce which I think is even more appetising!).

The meatballs in particular are delicious. The kids loved them! Next time I’d make a couple extra and serve them plain to the kids the next day as an afternoon snack – perhaps with an avocado salsa dip or something. Yummy!