Easy Spicy Saucy Meatballs Recipe
Updated
These spicy saucy meatballs make for an easy and delicious dinner.
This recipe makes use of cheap sausage meat for the meatballs, which can be prepared in advance.
You can buy sausage meat ready to use in most of the bigger supermarkets, usually alongside the sausages and bacon. Alternatively you can just buy some sausages; split the skin and squeeze the meat into a bowl.
The numbers below will serve 4 to 6.
Ingredients
To make 4 servings
- Around 600-700g sausage meatOr 2 packs of sausages
- 1 carton or tin passata (500g)Or a tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, choppedor 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 small red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 chilli, deseeded and choppedOr 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes
- Spaghetti (Optional, to serve)
- Olive oilor cooking spray
- Salt & pepper
How to make spicy meatballs with tomato sauce:
- In a bowl, mix the sausage meat, chopped chilli or chilli flakes, basil, salt & pepper.
- Use your hands to form into meatballs around the size of a golf-ball.
- Place on a plate and cover with cling-film and foil. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can also keep them in the fridge for up to a day before cooking.
- When ready to cook, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
- Add the meatballs and cook all over for around 5 minutes until lightly browned then set aside. Don’t crowd the pan – you may have to cook in batches.
- Gently wipe down the pan with a kitchen towel and add a further drizzle of oil.
- Add in the onion and peppers. Fry for 5-10 minutes until softened. If you want to really spice things up, add a little more chopped chilli here!
- Add the passata, season and stir everything together.
- Add the meatballs back to the sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water per pack instructions.
- Mix the drained spaghetti and meatballs and sauce to serve.