I rather like pesto – and use it whenever I can.
And I love it when I can find flavored pasta. It doesn’t seem to be as readily available in recent years but it adds flavor and color to the plate.
Mon mari is just happy that it’s time for meatballs again. I don’t make them in the summer.
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I found basil spaghetti which made this dish more colorful and tasty. Regular would be fine….
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
Ingredients
- 12oz (360gr) ground beef
- 3 tbs bread crumbs
- 3 tbs pesto
- 1 tbs red wine
- 1 egg
- Sauce:
- 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes, peeled, chopped, juices reserved
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 4oz (120gr) spaghetti, with basil or spinach
- 2 – 3 tbs Parmesan for sprinkling
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Lightly beat egg with a fork.
- Add pesto, bread crumbs, wine and mix well.
- Add beef, mix well.
- Form into meatballs, about 1 1/2″ (5cm) in diameter.
- In large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat.
- Add paprika and sauté briefly.
- Add onions, garlic, and sauté until tender and onion is transparent, 7 – 8 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, sauce and herbs. Heat to a simmer.
- Drop the meatballs in carefully, trying to keep them separate.
- Cover and simmer until meatballs are done, about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice.
- When pasta is done, drain and put into a large bowl.
- Pour meatballs and sauce over the top, remove bay leaves.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
Notes
I get 16 meatballs – divide the mixture in 4ths, then each 4th into 4ths before you start forming the balls. Or use a meatball scoop which I don’t have.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
- Calories: 774
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 804.1 mg
- Fat: 28.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.5 g
- Fiber: 10.3 g
- Protein: 56.5 g
- Cholesterol: 198.3 mg
Keywords: meatballs, spaghetti, pesto
For the opposite try Meatballs with Pesto Spaghetti
We went on a different route for our bike ride last week – it was along the river rather than along the canal.
Or, that’s what we expected.
We started out on a bike path by the river:
The bike path lasted about 10 feet. Then we were on country roads, with a short ride on a more major road. Luckily it’s no longer tourist season so traffic was light.
The path was well marked…. with very small signs. One had to pay attention.
It was fun riding on new country lanes.
There’s a chateau on a hilltop that I would love to get closer to – but by car, not bike. Look above the church steeple…
We decided it was time to get a proper map / guide to the bike trails in France…. more exploring in the future.
Love the quiet byways….but big roads make me nervous !
I don’t like the roads, either. Doesn’t bother the hubs at all. He just owns the road lol
I live on a 55mph road though we’re almost 300 feet off it and up a hill. Our road noise isn’t bad, but I’d never walk or ride on it unless riding was on a motorcycle. That scenery is gorgeous though!
I’ve half a mind to start making and freezing my own meatballs. It’s got to be cheaper than buying them, I have everything I’d need except for the ground beef of course, and a cookie scoop so I wouldn’t have to worry about them not all being the same size. Prices are just getting ridiculous here.
You buy meatballs? Hmmm. I don’t think that’s an option here but I’ve never thought of it. And I don’t use a scoop – but then I’ve made a lot of meatballs so I’m pretty fast and accurate lol
When we road our bikes in the U.S, we tried to stay on trails but the few times we were on roads it seemed like cars aimed for us. Here we’re treated like another vehicle – they will wait to pass us, just like they would for a car. Very polite (usually)