pasta again...

Lately, I've been making lots of new pasta dishes and once again, this one was a "Winner, winner chicken dinner!"; well, a winner of a "pasta dinner".  I whipped it up in a flash and when my guy came into the kitchen, he said, "Your dinner smells really good."  To me, that says it all.  Another keeper that you can serve to guests and they'll think you cooked all day!

Bucatini and Meatballs via Vikalinka

Author: Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 lbs/454 g extra lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• pepper
• 
  

For the tomato sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, high quality
• 1 lbs bucatini

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a medium sized bowl, mix well and roll meatballs. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook sliced garlic in it for a minute over low heat, do not let it colour.
3. Add chilli flakes and stir for a few seconds, then add canned chopped tomatoes or crushed tomatoes and basil, stir everything together and let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions.
5. While pasta is cooking brown meatballs in a separate pan over medium heat for 7-10 minutes. They don't have to be cooked all the way through, just browned.
6. Remove the meatballs from the pan add them to the tomato sauce, cover with a lid to allow the meatball to finish cooking for another 5 minutes.
7. Drain cooked pasta and gently toss it with the sauce and meatballs.
8. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.