INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs, finely chopped
  • 1 lb 7 oz ground beef
  • 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 lb dried spaghetti
  • salt and pepper

Sauce

  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
  • 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a bowl with the thyme, ground beef, breadcrumbs, and egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then mix well. Shape into 20 meatballs.
  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over low-medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring gently and turning frequently, for 15 minutes, until lightly browned all over.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. To make the sauce, put the onion wedges and bell pepper halves, skin-side up, on a broiler rack and cook under the preheated broiler, turning frequently, for 10 minutes, until the bell pepper skins are blistered and charred. Put the bell peppers into a plastic bag, tie the top, and let cool. Set the onion wedges aside.
  4. Peel off the bell pepper skins. Coarsely chop the flesh and put it into a food processor or blender with the onion wedges and tomatoes. Process to a smooth paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a pan, add the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, bring back to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes, or according to the package directions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the spaghetti and serve immediately with the meatballs and sauce.