The Original Spaghetti Meatballs

Name: The Original Spaghetti Meatballs (Chitarra con le Polpettine)
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: Serves: 4–5
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; 20 g butter; 1 onion, halved; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped; 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 300 g pork ribs or Italian sausage; 50 g Pecorino Romano, grated; 1 egg; 100 ml dry white wine; A pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg; 400 g minced beef; 500 g 00 flour (or plain flour), plus extra flour, to dust; 8 egg yolks; 2 eggs; 2 tbsp breadcrumbs; 800 g tinned tomatoes, crushed; Pecorino Romano, grated, to serve

Chitarra con le Polpettine

Preparation info

Serves:
4–5

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
2 hr 30

Appears in

Better Than Nonna

By Danilo Cortellini

Published 2024

About

This recipe must be one of my all-time favourite pasta dishes – so comforting and full of family memories. The fresh squared spaghetti, made with an egg-based dough, has an incredible texture which helps the sauce stick to the pasta. This version is from Abruzzo, but there are many variations across southern Italy. This dish is quicker than the classic Italian staple, where they usually use lamb.