One of Disney’s best-loved motion pictures is the 1955 traditional Woman and the Tramp, the story of a love affair between a complicated uptown cocker spaniel dame and a downtown mutt (principally schnauzer, I’d guess, nevertheless it’s by no means decided). It’s a canine love story par excellence, and the defining scene takes place at Tony’s, a traditional New York Metropolis red-sauce joint: chequered tablecloths, candles in chianti bottles, breadsticks and, after all, spaghetti with meatballs. Everyone knows what occurs subsequent: the lovers have interaction with the identical strand of pasta and find yourself mouth-to-mouth, lip-to-lip, kiss-to-kiss. A greater metaphor for love I have no idea.
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs
I’m certain that Woman and The Tramp was a heavy affect on the conception of Brutto, the Italian trattoria I opened in Clerkenwell in October 2021. Canines at all times welcome …
Prep 15 min
Soak 20 min
Cook dinner 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
250g stale white bread, crusts eliminated
250ml milk
300g pork mince (high-welfare, outdoor-reared, ideally)
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp floor cinnamonFurther-virgin olive oil
1 giant onion, peeled and intensely finely diced
1 giant celery stick, peeled and intensely finely diced
1 giant carrot, peeled and intensely finely diced
500ml passata
350g dried spaghetti – any respectable model
Plenty of grated parmesan, to serve
Break the bread into small chunks, put in a bowl with the milk and depart to soak for 20 minutes. Squeeze dry and put aside.
Put the pork in a big bowl, generously season, then add the cinnamon and squeezed-out bread and blend together with your arms till totally mixed. Together with your arms, pinch off items of the meatball combine and roll them into small balls – assume the scale of a gooseberry – and put aside.
Put a very good glug of oil in a big, flat-bottomed pan on a low warmth, then gently saute the onion, celery and carrot with a bit salt and pepper, stirring often, for about 10 minutes – do not let it flip brown. Add the passata and prepare dinner, nonetheless on a low warmth so it reduces slowly, for about 20 minutes, till thickened.
Drop the meatballs into the sauce and depart to bubble gently for about quarter-hour, till they’re cooked by means of. Relying on the scale of the pan, if the meatballs aren’t fairly submerged, it’s possible you’ll want so as to add a bit extra passata (and even water) to loosen the sauce a bit.
Whereas the meatballs and sauce are simmering, prepare dinner the spaghetti in boiling salted water in accordance with the packet directions, then drain.
Stir the drained pasta into the meatball pan, toss every little thing collectively, then style and modify the seasoning, if obligatory, and stir in a splash extra olive oil. Divide between 4 beautiful plates, apply plenty of grated parmesan and be sure you invite your canines.
