made in MyKitchen | meat balls pasta
well, there’s something in Cosmopolitan that talked about meat and pasta being the way to a man’s stomach and heart.. hmm.. i don’t know.. meat, yes, for sure.. but, pasta, i don’t know.. however, i do know that hubs loves my meat balls and pasta.. his eyes practically light up whenever he comes home from work, strolls into the kitchen and sees a pot of meat balls swimming in tomato sauce.. he slurps the whole thing up, pasta, meat balls and sauce faster than you can say “meat balls pasta”..
the secret to my meat balls? we-e-ll, there really is no secret, honestly.. it’s the simplest meat balls recipe i know.. but then again, it’s the simplest recipes that yield great dishes, i suppose..
you can use whichever type of minced meat to make these meat balls.. hubs prefers beef, while i personally like lamb.. sometimes, i mix these two when i can’t decide on which..
i like to sear the meat balls in a pan to brown on all sides before dropping them into hot, bubbling pasta sauce to cook further, as opposed to baking them in the oven.. sure, it’s a tad faster to shove the whole lot into the oven and leave it to cook in there while you tend to other stuff.. but, i still prefer the stove top browning in a pan method.. i find the oven method leaves the meat balls a little dry somehow.. besides, i just LOVE the sizzling sound of the meat balls searing in hot oil.. however, if you’re paranoid about all the grease in the pan stuff, just opt for the oven method.. 
so-o-o, here’s my meat balls pasta recipe..
MEAT BALLS PASTA
Ingredients :
- minced beef
- bread crumbs (i use panko, Japanese bread crumbs)
- egg yolk
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- pasta of choice (i used bavette)
- tomato pasta sauce (i used a bottle of mushroom and basil tomato sauce)
- garlic, minced finely
- fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
- palm/brown sugar
- oyster sauce
- some water
- fresh scallions, chopped
Method :
- in a bowl, mix together minced beef, bread crumbs, egg yolk, fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- for a taste test, cook a small piece of the meat ball mix and taste it. add more salt or bread crumbs if needed
- shape small handfuls of the meat mix into balls. use a measuring spoon (i used a 1 tbs measuring spoon) to gauge the amount for each meat ball
- set the meat balls aside in a tray
- heat up some oil in a pan and fry the meat balls until browned on all sides
- it’s ok if the meat balls are not quite cooked in the center. set them aside on absorbent kitchen towels/paper
- to prepare the sauce, heat up some extra virgin olive oil and saute garlic until fragrant
- add in diced mushrooms and saute until slightly browned on the sides
- add in tomato sauce and a bit of water to thin it out a bit
- season with palm/brown sugar and oyster sauce
- let the sauce come to a slow boil. taste, and adjust seasonings if needed
- add cooked meat balls in and let the mixture come to a boil on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. turn the heat off when the sauce is ready
- prepare pasta. cook as per package instructions until al dente
- to serve, pour tomato sauce over pasta and heap meat balls on top. garnish with chopped scallions
- serve, and enjoy
4 Comments on “made in MyKitchen | meat balls pasta”
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whytevee
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Hmmm interesting … season with oyster sauce. Why I never thought of that before?! Btw, what is the best pasta sauce available in Malaysia?
oyster sauce makes everything taste good, i find..
best in Malaysia? i’m not sure exactly as i’ve not tried every brand available, but i’ll stay away from Prego.. their tomato pasta sauce especially is more ketchup-y than a proper tomato sauce.. if you’re spoilt for choice, just choose one that’s really thick and chunky.. that’s how a good sauce should look like.. taste wise, you can always adjust it when you cook..
Thanks for your reply. I’ve been tempted to order from on-line stores especially sauces from US or Italy, but not sure whether it is worth the trouble.
if you’re looking for imported brands, Mercato (Pavillion & Hartamas Shopping Centre) and Ben’s Independent Grocer in Publika Dutamas both carry quite a range.. these ‘upscale’ supermarkets cater especially to expats, so there’re quite a variety of foreign brands available..