Sausage Meatballs with Macaroni

Not the most attractive dish to look at, but these are probably the tastiest meatballs i've ever had. It's a bit fiddly to make, but well worth the effort if you are wanting to feed a lot of people







You need:

150ml Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves - crushed
100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
50ml Milk
Handful of Chopped Parsley
2 Large Onions - finely diced
500g Beef Mince - best you can afford
500g Italian Sausages - approx 8. Squeeze the meat from the skins
200ml Red Wine
2 x 400g Tins Chopped Tomatoes
500g Macaroni
1 Large (family size) Jar of White Pasta Sauce
100g Mature Cheddar or Gruyere - grated
Salt and Black Pepper

Heat the oven to 200c.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and then add the Onions, Garlic and a good grind of Black Pepper and Salt. Cook slowly on a low heat until the Onions are softened but not colored. Remove half the Onions with a slotted spoon and place in a large mixing bowl with the Breadcrumbs and Milk. Remove the rest of the Onions from the pan and set aside.

Mix the Beef Mince and the Sausage Meat, the Parsley and plenty of salt and pepper, into the Breadcrumbs/Milk/Onions. Use your hands to mix everything very well! Shape the mixture into meatballs and set aside on a plate

Cook the Macaroni according to packet instructions, drain and set aside. While you do that, heat the oil again and then brown the meatballs in batches until browned all over. When all the meatballs are browned, return the Onions to the pan along with the Wine. Bring to the boil and stir in the Tomatoes and the Meatballs. Simmer for 5 mins.

Tip the cooked Macaroni into the Meatball sauce and mix well. Tip everything into the largest casserole dish you have (or use two!), the pour over the White Sauce. Top with the grated Cheese and then bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling and golden

Serve with fresh bread to mop up the sauce

Feeds 6 - 8 easily