Spaghetti and meatballs with roasted tomato

As any ouma will tell you, it’s the little bit of sugar that’s the essential ingredient in this baked tomato sauce.

Another of Ali’s all-time favourites.
500g beef mince • 150g breadcrumbs
1 onion, peeled and grated • 2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons chutney • 1 egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
600–800g spaghetti
roasted tomato, red onion and basil sauce
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 x 400g tins whole peeled tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed • 30g basil • 2 teaspoons sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To make the tomato sauce, fry the onions in the olive oil until just tender and
then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about
45 minutes. To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 180˚C. Mix the mince,
breadcrumbs, grated onion, Worcester sauce, chutney, egg and seasoning together in
a bowl. Lightly shape the mixture into 8 large balls and place them in an oven dish.
Cover with the tomato sauce and bake for about 45 minutes. In the meantime, cook
the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Serve the freshly cooked pasta with
plenty of sauce and meatballs.
Serves 6–8