Pasta And Turkey Meatballs In A Tomato And Herb Sauce

Growing up in a working class household, spaghetti and meatballs was a regular family meal for us. A tasty, satisfying meal that would easily feed a family of 6, on a very low budget, I have fond memories of sitting around the table with a big bowl full of this and enjoying every mouthful. This recipe is my slightly healthier, batch cooked, and somewhat nostalgic, take on the old school spaghetti and meatballs I grew up with.

You will need:
350g brown fusilli

For the herb mix:
2 tsp dried basil
1 & 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 & 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the meatballs:
1 tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) oil
500g turkey mince
1 egg
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped
3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs (I used panko, but only because I had most of a bag sat in the cupboard)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

For the sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) oil
2 small onions, 1 finely and the other fairly chunkily chopped
2 medium/large carrots, 1 finely and the other fairly chunkily chopped
2 celery stalks, 1 finely and the other fairly chunkily chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomatoes
200ml chicken stock

Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the basil, oregano, thyme salt and pepper until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Pour the oil into a high sided pan and place over a medium heat to warm.
3. Add the turkey, egg, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp of the herb mix to a large bowl and mix until fairly well incorporated.
4. Form the mix into 8 evenly sized balls, place the balls into the pan and fry for about 10 minutes, turning regularly to ensure they're browned on all sides Once browned remove from the pan and set aside.
5. If needed, add more oil to the pan and allow to warm over a medium heat.
6. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften and colour lightly.
7. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the veg starts to soften.
8. Add the tomato puree, stir through the veg and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the remaining herb mix, stir through, and pour in the tomatoes and stock.
10. Add the browned meatballs into the sauce, bring to the boil, turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and allow to gently simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until the meatballs are entirely cooked through.
11. After about 20 minutes, cook the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain, add the pasta to the sauce and stir through.
12. If you're going to be eating this straight away, allow to cook, uncovered, for the remaining 2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. If this is going to be re-heated later, remove from the heat straight away and stand the pan in a bowl of cold water to cool the sauce as quickly as possible.

Notes:
Cooling the sauce quickly, before the pasta has time to cook through, should mean that when it's re-heated the pasta isn't rubbery and over done.
Dish this up into foil containers, sprinkle over a bit of grated cheese and freeze for individually portioned pasta bake ready meals. 45 minutes, from frozen, in a cold oven set to 150 degrees and you're done, that's just about enough time for a quick soak in the bath.