Jamie Oliver’s mouth-watering meatballs recipe is ‘really easy’ to make

Meatballs strike high on the list of favourite dishes in the United Kingdom, primarily because they are the ultimate comfort food.

Today, the internet is brimming with variations on the classic Italian dish, but in Britain, one recipe rises above the rest for its simplicity.

Jamie Oliver’s twist is highly lauded by home cooks for its heartwarming blend of spices and herbs and high-quality ingredients.

The famed chef’s website states: “This really easy beef and pork meatball recipe with simple tomato sauce delivers big on flavour – a simple, wholesome dinner for the whole family.”

The recipe has garnered a lot of attention on YouTube too, where one viewer left the comment: “My gosh this is mouthwatering!”

READ MORE: Make Jamie Oliver’s avocado and bacon eggy crumpets with quick recipe

Ingredients: 

12 Jacob’s cream crackers

Four sprigs of fresh rosemary

Two heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard

500 grams of quality minced beef, pork, or a mixture of the two

One heaped tablespoon of dried oregano

One large free-range egg

Olive oil

One bunch of fresh basil

One medium onion

Two cloves of garlic

½ a fresh or dried red chilli

Two x 400grams tin of plum tomatoes

Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

400 grams of dried spaghetti or penne

Parmesan cheese

Method:

Place the crackers in a kitchen towel and pulverise them until they become fine crumbs, making sure to rumble any larger chunks with your fingers, then empty them into a large mixing bowl.

Select and meticulously mince the rosemary leaves, followed by incorporating them into the bowl along with the mustard, ground meat, and oregano.

Introduce the egg into the mix then season to taste, with sea salt and ground black pepper. Blend and knead the ingredients thoroughly with clean hands. Partition the mixture into four substantial portions and use damp hands to divide each portion into six smaller meatballs. This should yield 24 meatballs in total.

Arrange the meatballs on a dish and lightly coat them with oil.

Shake them gently to ensure they’re evenly coated. Refrigerate to let them firm up as needed. Tear the basil leaves, reserving the tinier ones for later use. Peel and finely dice both the onion and the garlic, and neatly chop or crumble the chilli.

Warm two tablespoons of oil in a considerable frying pan on a medium flame, introduce the onion, and sauté for seven minutes, or until it is tender and has taken on a light caramel colour.

Add the garlic and chilli, then follow with the large basil leaves as soon as they start to colour. Stir the tomatoes, mashing them down with a spoon, then mix in the balsamic vinegar, and season according to your preference. Heat until it reaches boiling point, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally as needed.

In a separate pan, warm up a tablespoon of oil on medium heat and fry the meatballs for eight to ten minutes until they’re evenly browned and fully cooked – ensure the inside isn’t still pink by cutting one open.

Add the cooked meatballs to the saucepan to simmer. Boil the pasta as per the instructions, save some pasta water and then drain. Mix the pasta back in the pot with half the sauce, adding pasta water if necessary to loosen.

Serve the pasta on a dish or in individual bowls, topping with the extra sauce, meatballs, a sprinkle of parmesan and the set-aside basil leaves. Enjoy your meal.