Ingredients

Method

For the tomato sauce:
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 200 g leeks, washed and roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• salt, to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup white wine (optional)
• 1 cup beef stock
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 x 800 g Woolworths Italian whole peeled tomatoes can, blended
• 3 T tomato paste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the meatballs:
• 3 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1 cup milk
• 500 g Woolworths lean beef mince
• 500 g pork mince
• 1 red onion, grated
• 4 T Italian parsley roughly chopped
• 50 g Parmesan finely grated
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 T olive oil
• 1 x 500 g Woolworths tagliatelle pasta packet, cooked al dente, for serving
• Parmesan, for serving
• basil, to garnish

Method

Ingredients

To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and onions and cook until soft, seasoning with salt.

Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook for 3 minutes, then pour in the wine. Reduce the wine by half, then add the beef stock, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with pepper.

Cook, covered, over a low heat for 45 minutes.

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 180°C. Soak the bread in the milk. Squeeze out any excess milk and place in a large bowl. Add the mince, onion, parsley and Parmesan and season to taste.

Mix together using your hands. Roll into 20 small balls or 15 slightly larger ones. 6 Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.

Arrange the meatballs on a baking tray and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Place the pasta in a serving dish. Mix the meatballs and tomato sauce, then spoon over the pasta. Serve with Parmesan and garnish with basil.

Cook’s note: If you omit the wine from the sauce, double the quantity of beef stock. You can also use all beef mince instead of half pork.

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