Garlic meatball bucatini

Try this twist on a spaghetti and meatballs dish with garlic meatballs served with bucatini! Bucatini is a long pasta like spaghetti, with a hollow centre allowing the pasta to hold onto sauces more effectively. For best results, seek out beef chuck and brisket mince for a more concentrated beef meatball flavour.

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup red wine
• 700 ml passata
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup water
• 500 g bucatini
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan, to serve
• ¼ cup finely shredded parsley, to serve

For the meatballs

• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 small brown onion
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• 500 g beef chuck & brisket mince
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp salt

Resting time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the garlic meatballs, in a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs and milk and mix well to combine. Either coarsely grate the onion and use a microplane to grate the garlic, or blend both in a small food processor to form a paste, then combine the onion and garlic mixture with the remaining meatball ingredients in a medium saucepan with the milk and breadcrumb mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix well in one direction until well combined and the mixture begins to form ‘streaks’. Refrigerate the meatball mixture for 30 minutes, then roll into large meatballs.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 220˚C (fan-forced). Place the rolled meatballs onto a baking dish lined with baking paper, then bake 20 minutes, or until browned.
   
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the wine. Reduce for 1 minute, then add the passata, garlic powder and 1 cup water to the pan with the meatballs. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand while you cook the pasta.
   
4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, then cook the bucatini according to the package directions, checking 2 minutes before the suggested cook time for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water in a heatproof jug. Return the drained pasta to the dry pan, then ladle the sauce from the meatballs over the pasta with a generous splash of pasta water, some parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss the pasta to coat in the sauce, then transfer to a large serving plate.
   
5. Top the pasta with the remaining sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil to finish.
   

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.