Meatballs With Pasta

(Nigella Bites)

It was a meatball kind of day. Cold, wet and in need of comfort food. And with family to feed ranging from one to seventy plus it seemed like a winner for all concerned.

It may have been an error on my part to double the quantities. I had a kilo of meat in the fridge and it seemed silly not to use it all. On the plus side our freezer will be well-stocked which is always a bonus. On the minus...soooo many meatballs. I lost count at 97 when the phone rang but by then every point of my horizon was studded with herby, meaty little orbs.

If you're making in that quantity I would recommend you take everything out of the fridge a while before mixing - my hands were so submerged in frosty gloop that I lost the sensation in two of my fingers.

I used 100% beef rather than the 50/50 beef and pork mix. I can't imagine that's an issue. I also skipped the parmesan for a number of reasons, not least because I can't stand the stuff. And while we're in the confessional, I omitted the milk from the sauce on several of the same counts. I'm sure that does make a difference to the final dish - but what the heck - it tasted great in any case.

Admit to going for the easy option of packaged spaghetti on the grounds of less time, less mess. But all in all a great success