Pesto meatball sauce

I had some girlfriends over for dinner a couple of weekends ago and this is what I made for them. This isn’t a quick meal by any means, so prepare yourself to spend some time in the kitchen. There are some dishes you just can’t get any other way (^_^)

starting with the meatballs,...
starting with the meatballs,…

The good news is it’s delicious! I have yet to meet anyone that doesn’t like meatballs!   

You will need the following for the meatballs:
3 tablespoons home made almond and cashew pesto
1 kilo of minced beef
Salt to taste
1.5 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup home made bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
add onions and home made bread crumbs
add onions and home made bread crumbs

Put the first 5 ingredients into a bowl and mix. I used my hands to mix, it’s much faster than a fork or a spoon. Just washed them thoroughly first. Then add the beaten egg and mix it in,… I used a fork, didn’t really want to touch raw egg, I am extra sensitive to that smell. But you may continue with hands if you wish.

the one beaten egg so the meatballs don't fall apart
the one beaten egg so the meatballs don’t fall apart
once you are done mixing, roll the meatballs using your hands in the size you prefer.
ready for the oven

When done mixing, prepare baking dishes, butter and dust them so the meat balls wont stick. Also makes cleaning easier later.

Then roll the meat into balls with your hands and arrange them neatly on the prepared baking dish. Determine a size and try to stick to it. Whatever size you prefer is fine, just keep in mind that bigger sizes tend to need more time to cook all the way through. Mine were about 1.25 inches in diameter before cooking. Also keep in mind the they will reduce in size a little when they cook.

Place in the oven at 180°C for one hour.

While the meatballs are cooking , you can start on the sauce.

Ingredients as follows:
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
7 cloves of garlic, grated
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 tomatoes chopped
4 tablespoons home made tomato paste
a little bit of ground beef
2 cups water
1.5 cups white wine

while the meatballs are cooking in the oven you can start the sauce
starting with oil, bay leaves, garlic and cumin seeds, on medium heat till the garlic softens
then add the chopped tomatoes and oregano, let that simmer for a minute,...
then add 1 cup of water, the chopped tomatoes and oregano, let that simmer for a minute,…
I like a little minse in my sauce so I set aside a little bit to add to the sauce, with the home made tomato paste
add the mince meat and the home made tomato paste, stir, let simmer

I like a little mince in my sauce so I bought a little extra to add to the sauce. You can just set aside a little bit before you start making the meatballs as well.

the sauce is ready when the meat is cooked and it's reduced and thickened a bit
the sauce is ready when the meat is cooked and it’s reduced and thickened
when the meatballs are ready add them to the sauce. You don't have to add all of them, you can reserve some for later if you think you have too many,...
when the meatballs are ready add them to the sauce. You don’t have to add all of them, you can reserve some for later if you think you have too many,…

Then add the remaining cup of water and wine and allow to simmer for 15 minutes

yummy!
yummy!
serve with linguine or spaghetti
serve with linguine or spaghetti

Hubby had a taste of it the next day when we had the leftovers

Husband Rating: ★★★★★★★★½☆
I like the flavour of the meatballs!

The meatballs were really good, the best part is I didn’t tell him how I made them, he just picked up the flavour on his own and mentioned it (^_^)

I will be posting the making of the home made tomato paste and bread crumbs later this week.

About aika

Making, eating and sharing good food are a splendid way to start, brake and end a day! I post good eats on www.pendolamama.co.ke. Life is a feast, eat up!

4 thoughts on “Pesto meatball sauce

  1. Aika,
    This is a great recipe, just what i wanted…i have some bread crumbs that i once used on Gizzards and Fish-Fingers and now this.
    This is a nice weekend plot.

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