MeatBalls and The Simplest Tomato Sauce

I like this recipe because it is so easy to make. Dan memberi nafas baru kepada menu harian. There is not a lot of mess to clear up later either. And the children love the meatballs.

MEATBALLS
2/3 cup fresh milk
1/4 cup fine dried breadcrumbs
600g ground beef
3/4 teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
About 2 tbsps finely chopped fresh sage, from 2 small herb bunches
1/2 cups finely diced or grated yellow onion, from about 1 small yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
Olive oil

Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Stir them together and set them aside for at least 10 minutes for the crumbs to soften.

Put the ground beef into a mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and a generous amount of black pepper, then add the cayenne and smoked paprika. Stir in the chopped parsley, sage, onion, garlic and Parmesan. Mix with your hands until these are very thoroughly distributed through the meat.

Stir in the breadcrumbs and milk, as well as the egg, and mix thoroughly.

Shape and cook the meatballs immediately. Cook on a non-stick skillet till brown.

TOMATO SAUCE

2 cans plum tomatoes (other tomatoes will not taste as good)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt

To serve
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the tomatoes, butter, onion halves, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer then lower the heat. Crush the tomatoes lightly with the back of a spoon as they cook, and stir occasionally. Simmer very gently for 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat appear on the surface of the tomatoes. Remove and discard the onion (how much simpler can a recipe get?)

Serve over hot pasta with Parmesan and black pepper, if desired. With the meatballs from above.

You simply have got to try this.

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