Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and fry, stirring constantly for 60 seconds.
1 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
Add the paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and the salt to the garlic and stir for a further 30 seconds until the release their amazing flavours and aromas. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir again.
1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt, 800 g chopped tomatoes
Increase the temperature so its starts to boil and then reduce until the sauce simmers. Normally medium to medium-low heat will do. Place the frying pan lid on and leave to simmer and thicken for 10 – 12 minutes. This gives you time to make the meatballs.
Using a mixing bowl, add the beef mince and the paprika, onion powder, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne and mix together. I find it easier to wash my hands thoroughly and mix by hand but its up to you. Just make sure that if using your hands, your hands are damp as the mince won’t stick then.
Roughly divide into 20 – 24 meatballs, rolling them in the palm of your hands to shape.
Lift the lid on the sauce and give it a stir. Add the meatballs and bring the sauce back to a boil again and then reduce back to a simmer. Put the lid on and leave for about 30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. When there is about 15 minutes to go before the meatballs are ready, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
375 g spaghetti
Stir with a sprig of basil or two on each plate with a sprinkling of parmesan.
50 g parmesan, 20 leaves basil
Notes
Basil: I pinch the the fresh shoots off the top of the basil stems. They are full of flavour and look really attractive.