Spaghetti with tomato sauce and ground pork meatballs

Preparing the meatballs is an essential step in this delicious recipe, which brings together the savory flavors of meatballs, spaghetti, and tomato sauce. We start by gathering all the necessary ingredients for the meatballs: minced meat (it can be pork, beef, or a combination), finely chopped onion, crushed garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and optionally, herbs such as dill or thyme. After preparing all the ingredients, we mix them in a large bowl, ensuring that everything is well incorporated. From the obtained mixture, we form small, uniform-sized meatballs so they cook evenly. In a deep pan, we heat a generous amount of lard, and when it is well heated, we add the meatballs. We fry them until they become golden and crispy on the outside, then we remove them onto an absorbent kitchen towel to get rid of the excess fat.

Meanwhile, we take care of the spaghetti. In a large pot, we bring two liters of water to a boil along with a tablespoon of salt, essential for flavoring the pasta. When the water starts to boil, we add the spaghetti and stir gently to prevent sticking. We cook the pasta according to the time indicated on the package, then cover the pot with a lid to keep them warm.

While the spaghetti is boiling, we dedicate ourselves to preparing the tomato sauce with meatballs. The canned tomatoes are turned into tomato juice using a food processor. This will be the base of our sauce. In a saucepan, we put the obtained tomato juice, olive oil, water, sweet paprika, and dried herbs. We let the mixture simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly but not completely. Then, we carefully add the fried meatballs into the tomato sauce and let them simmer together for another 1-2 minutes. Once the sauce is ready, we take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool slightly before adding the crushed garlic and half of the bunch of parsley, washed and finely chopped.

For assembly, we rinse the spaghetti with warm water in a strainer to ensure they are not sticky. We place the pasta on a plate, add 7 meatballs for each serving, cover everything with the aromatic tomato sauce, and sprinkle fresh chopped green parsley on top. Thus, the final result is a delicious meal that not only delights the eye but also the taste buds. This simple yet flavorful recipe is perfect for a family dinner or to impress guests. Enjoy your meal!