Weeknight Eats: Lamb Spaghetti and Meatballs
Where better to find lamb recipes for busy families than from down under. This recipe however, doesn’t come from New Zealand but South Africa.
Sarah Graham started her cooking career as a blogger in May 2010. It was a way to manage her growing family but still focus on what she loved best – cooking. In 2013, Graham filed her first TV series in Capetown which is now syndicated across 40 countries. She has written four books providing recipes and inspiration for eating delicious whole foods that are free of refined sugars.
This recipe is a Graham classic.
However, what we found interesting is that Graham apologizes to the Italians for substituting lamb, saying that spaghetti and meatballs are a classic Italian dish!
Are spaghetti and meatballs really Italian? We had to find out.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the Italians don’t serve spaghetti and meatbalss unless, they are trying to satisfy the palate of an outsider. Like many other great dishes, meatballs come from all over whether kőttbullars in Sweden or kőftes in Turkey.
The Italian version are known as polpettes, eaten as a meal in itself or with soups – and made from a variety of meats from turkey to fish.
We know that many cooks use beef or pork in their meatballs, but we thought lamb meatballs and spaghetti would be just fine!
Serves: 6
Serve With: Side Salad (maybe Cesar) & baguette
Pairs With: Rieseling or Syrah
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 750g lamb mince (or about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- Half cup feta, crumbed
- 2 T each of chopped fresh mint (or coriander) and parsley
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1 tsp dried cumin
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the sauce:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes or 1 fresh chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tin chopped, peeled tomatoes
- 4 Tbsp tomato puree
- 4 Tbsp chutney (or 2 Tbsp sugar)
- 1 packet spaghetti
In a large bowl mix the lamb, half the onion, feta, herbs and spices together then roll into golf-ball sized meatballs. If you have time, refrigerate the meatballs again at this point for half an hour, it will help keep them firm.
In a large pan on maximum heat, add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and then brown the meatballs on all sides (2-3 minutes). Remove and set aside in a large open casserole dish. Turn the heat down to medium, add in the onions, garlic and chilli and fry gently until the onions soften (2-3 minutes). Then add the onion mixture to the meatballs.
In a separate jug/pitcher, mix together the red wine, tinned tomato, tomato puree, and chutney, then pour over the meatballs and onions in the casserole dish.
Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened, turning the meatballs half way through. During this time cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper and sugar (if necessary to break the tanginess of the tomatoes).
Serve over the spaghetti with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
Valensbrae Sheep Farm – Pasture-raised Ontario lamb. Farm gate sales of lamb sold as individual cuts or by the whole or half lamb. Lamb will be available August 2019. In addition to Dorset & Shetland sheep, Valensbrae Farm has pot-bellied pigs, Red Sexlinks layers, honey bees and two llamas Ben & Jerry.
A family-run operation led by Ted Stark.1527 Regional Road 97 | Puslinch | 905-659-7253 | [email protected]
