Spaghetti and Meatballs is a popular dish in most countries, and Japan is no exception. Japan has thousands of Italian restaurants including chains like Italian Tomato, and spaghetti is also a popular dish in many Japanese restaurants and cafes. In my house this is a dinner I like to prepare on Friday night after a tough week of school and work. I hope that you enjoy this dish as much as we do!
Spaghetti and Meatballs (スパゲッティとミートボール)
In staying with the these of Mountain Plums, I wanted to give you a recipe that is easy to make. The recipe uses mostly dried herbs and seasonings and a single pot to prepare both the meatballs and the sauce. The recipe leaves it to you what pasta you want to serve this with. I usually use dry spaghetti or penne, but feel free to use whatever pasta you prefer. Make sure to grate some cheese to top off this dish.
 PREP |
 COOKING |
 YIELD |
| 15 minutes | 45 minutes | 4 generous servings |
| PREP |
15 minutes |
| COOKING |
45 minutes |
| YIELD |
4 generous servings |
Meatballs
- 1.1 lb ground beef (500g)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 TBSP dried oregano leaves’
- 1 TBSP onion powder
- 1 TBSP dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 TBSP Olive oil for cooking
Tomato Sauce
- 3 medium fresh tomatoes
- 1 14oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (400g)
- 1 6oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (170g)
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 TBSP chopped sundried tomato
- 1 shallot, diced finely
- 2 TBSP honey
- 1 TBSP dried basil leaves
- 1 TBSP dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Pasta and Cheese
- 1 lb dried spaghetti or your favorite pasta
- Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix all of the meatball ingredients except the olive oil.
- Form the meat into 8 or 9 equal size balls. Brown in a frypan in 1 TBSP olive oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes turning carefully after 1 minute. Meatballs do not need to be completely browned.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large frypan, sauté the shallot in the olive oil over medium high for 2 minutes until cooked through. Add the sundried tomato, tomato paste and anchovy paste and cook for another minutes until well combined.
- Remove the skin from the fresh tomatoes if desired (see notes for directions on how to remove the skin).
- Slice the tomatoes into 4-6 pieces and add to the frypan.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes breaking apart the tomatoes with a spoon until the tomatoes are crushed and well combined with the other ingredients.
- Add the artichokes, dry spices and honey. Stir for another minutes until the ingredients are all combined.
- Add the canned whole tomatoes and cook over medium high heat for two more minutes while using a wooden spoon to break apart the tomatoes.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce and spoon some sauce over each meatball.
- Bring the sauce back to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover and maintain a low boil for 30 minutes. Occasionally stir with a spoon to ensure the meatballs cook evenly and the sauce does not burn. After 30 minutes, the meatballs and sauce will be ready.
- While the sauce is cooking, grate up some fresh cheese and prepare the spaghetti or pasta in accordance with the directions on the package.
- Serve. Plate the dish with pasta on the bottom topped with sauce, meatballs, and sprinkled with cheese to taste.
Notes:
How to remove the skin from tomatoes:
- Cross-cut the tomatoes. Put in boiling water for 3 minutes. The skin will start to lift off in the water. Drain the tomatoes and peel by hand under cold water.
- To make more sauce, add an additional cup of tomato sauce (200ml) along with the crushed tomatoes.
- If you like your meatballs softer, omit the panko and soak two slices of white bread with the crusts removed in 3/4 cup of milk for 15 minutes. Drain out the extra milk and used the softened bread in place of the panko.
