Blessed pasta! What would I do without her or, rather, what would my family do without her. My husband and children adore it and celebrate every meal in which a plate of pasta is placed in front of them. For me, it is a great way to serve vegetables that, if they weren't in a sauce format, I wouldn't eat. So no one objects to, for example, a plate of spaghetti with beef and eggplant meatballs.
The sauce that accompanies this spaghetti is a little laborious, but it is worth investing a few extra minutes in its preparation. We will obtain a unique dish and, at the end of the day, we will have saved the time needed to prepare a second dish. So it has its advantages.
In a large, deep container, mix the minced meat together with the sliced bread, the egg, the milk, a teaspoon of dried oregano and a pinch of salt. We work with our hands until we obtain a homogeneous mixture. We take small portions of the dough, ball them and place them on a plate covered with flour. We move the plate in a circle to flour the balls.
We cover the base of a frying pan with a finger of olive oil and heat it. We fry the meatballs, turning them so that they brown all over their surface. We remove them from the pan and place them on absorbent paper to eliminate excess fat. We remove the oil from the pan and clean it lightly with paper, since we are going to use it again.
Peel the eggplants, remove the ends, discard them and cut them into thick cubes. Heat a little olive oil in the pan and fry the cubes for approximately 10 minutes over high heat, stirring regularly so that they do not burn. Add the white wine, lower the heat and let it simmer gently until it has evaporated.
We peel the garlic cloves and chop them. We add them to the pan along with the tomato, broth, harissa, oregano and anchovies, previously chopped. We let the whole cook, over low heat, for 20 minutes. We separate half of the sauce and puree it with a hand blender. We return it to the pan, along with the meatballs, and boil for a final five minutes.
We boil the pasta following the manufacturer's instructions. Once ready, we remove it from the cooking water and drain it well. We mix the pasta with the sauce and serve it immediately, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh oregano (optional).
What to accompany spaghetti with beef and eggplant meatballs
These spaghetti with beef and eggplant meatballs are a very nutritious single dish, which solves a one-time meal. The eggplant softens the sauce and adds creaminess to the whole, while the meatballs add the strong point of flavor to the dish. A glass of red wine is the ideal drink to accompany this pasta dish.
