Meatballs flavoured with cumin and served in a rich tomato sauce with homemade pasta.
RECIPE DETAILS
1. For the tomato sauce, place the washed tomatoes into hot then cold water and peel the skins off.
2. Lightly fry the garlic and onion in olive oil in a large pan or casserole dish. Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan together with the green vine stalks for flavour. Add salt and pepper, the freshly chopped herbs, sugar and white wine vinegar. Cook on a medium heat for an hour and a half. Add some of the water from the pan that was used to peel the tomatoes if the sauce has reduced.
3. For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 200°C. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. With one hand, mix it all together for five minutes.
4. Using floured hands, make some small balls from the mixture. Shallow fry the balls until they are lightly brown. Remove the balls and place into the casserole dish with the tomato sauce. Pour the tomato sauce over the top. Put a lid on and cook in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
5. For the pasta, mix the eggs, salt and oil in a dish and leave to one side.
6. Combine the flour and semolina in a mixing bowl. Tip onto a work surface in a big heap. Make a volcano mound with a big dip in the middle. Slowly add the egg mix into the middle of the flour then using three fingers, slowly mix the egg into the mixture. When it forms a dough, scoop it up. Sieve the remaining flour and clear the work top.
7. Knead into a dough for ten minutes then cover up in cling film and leave for an hour.
8. Separate the dough into two. Roll out using a rolling pin and flour until it is very thin. Fold the top and bottom edges into the middle, repeat this two more times. Using a chopping knife cut into fine strips.
9. Boil some water in a saucepan and add a teaspoon of rock salt, when it’s at a rolling boil add the pasta for a minute to a minute and a half. Drain in a colander.
10. Serve the meatballs and sauce on top of the pasta, with the parmesan cheese, if required.
