Irrespective of our knowledge of international food culture, we all can relate at some level to Italian cuisine through pizzas and pasta. Isn’t it? So why not acquaint yourself with some more pleasant newness of taste with a fusion Italian dish, Spaghetti Meatballs? The minced chicken meatballs that look like Indian koftas are bound with parmesan cheese, oregano, pepper and chilli powder and salt.
Breadcrumbs and eggs are also added to the meatballs making them super nutritious with a nice crunchy exterior. The marinara sauce in which these meatballs are heated briefly gives the complete Italian flavour and meatballs served with cooked spaghetti taste too good together.
Spaghetti meatballs are not considered completely an Italian dish. The dish is particularly popular in Southern Italy and is said to have been born as a result of the immigration of Italians from this region to the US. So it can be rather called an Italian-American dish.
In Southern Italy, smaller meatballs are used in making Spaghetti meatballs. Historically, Spaghetti and meatballs were famous among the Italian immigrants who settled in New York, where meat is available abundantly. The recipe of the dish was published officially for the first time in the 1920s by the National Pasta Association.
This sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions and is extensively used in Italian-American cuisine. In Italy, it's called Alla Marinara and is made with tomatoes, basil and oregano and sometimes also with olives, capers, and salted anchovies. It is eaten with spaghetti, and vermicelli, and also with meat or fish and lasagna.
Here’s the recipe for Spaghetti Meatballs.
Preparation time: 35 mins
Cooking time: 15-20 mins
Servings: 1-2
Ingredients:
- 500 gms minced chicken
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2-3 tsps chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp of sweet paprika powder
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 whipped eggs
- 200 gms of breadcrumbs
- Oil
- Spaghetti
Method:
- In a bowl add minced chicken, oregano, parsley, sweet paprika powder and grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and mix everything well.
- To this add whisked eggs, and mix well and add breadcrumbs and again mix all well.
- Apply oil to your hands, take a small portion of this meat mixture and make kofta-like balls of it.
- Deep fry these meatballs in hot oil until golden brown and take them out on a tissue paper.
- Dip the meatballs in the marinara sauce and mix both nicely.
- Heat them until they come to a boil.
- Now, cook spaghetti in the hot water and it is almost done.
- Put the cooked spaghetti under cold water so that it doesn’t stick.
- Dish out the spaghetti and put the meatballs over them.
- Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips:
You can also rub some oil into spaghetti to prevent them from becoming sticky.
Marinara sauce can be prepared in advance following a simple recipe of sauteing tomatoes, basil, garlic, and onions, with salt and pepper in olive oil and blending them to a paste.
The rest of the process follows quite neatly and easily.