SPAGHETTI FORK RECIPES

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
• Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
• Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.
• Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
• Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.
• While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.
• Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.
• Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.
• Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated.
• Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
• Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

Steps:

• First, make the meatballs. Split the skins of the sausages and squeeze out the meat into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the mince, onion, parsley, parmesan, breadcrumbs, eggs and lots of seasoning. Get your hands in and mix together really well – the more you squeeze and mash the mince, the more tender the meatballs will be.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the mince mixture into about 50 golf-ball-sized meatballs. Set aside any meatballs for freezing, allowing about five per portion, then spread the rest out in a large roasting tin – the meatballs will brown better if spaced out a bit.
• Drizzle with a little oil (about 1 tsp per portion), shake to coat, then roast for 20-30 mins until browned.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and sizzle for 1 min.
• Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, if using, caster sugar, parsley and seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 mins until slightly thickened.
• Stir in a few basil leaves, if using, spoon out any portions for freezing, then add the cooked meatballs to the pan to keep warm while you cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, salted water.
• Spoon the sauce and meatballs over spaghetti, or stir them all together and serve with extra parmesan and a few basil leaves, if you like.