For the ultimate comfort food, look to classic gangster movies – these meatballs will please kids and adults alike, writes DOMINI KEMP

THERE’S A BIG difference between your ultimate comfort food and what people refer to, rather morbidly, as one’s “death-row dinner”. I’m not sure, if faced with the electric chair, that I would want to eat something “comforting” – but rather my “favourite foods”, which might end up as steak frites, my sister’s Caesar salad, lemon tart, then lots of cheese – and at least two bottles of wine – before taking my seat.

That menu is definitely not as simple and straightforward as comfort grub which, in our household, is usually spag-bol or shepherd’s pie. Maybe comfort has to do with ease of preparation? I can’t be sure, but even if the sun is shining outside (rare, I know), there is something that both kids and grown-ups love about spag bol. Except vegetarian ones, of course . . .

But recently, I began thinking about something a little lighter and tastier, more in keeping with spring/summer – spaghetti with meatballs, which seems to be an Italian-American creation rather than anything you'd find in Italy. I find it very hard to think of this dish without immediately casting my mind back to my favourite mob movie, Goodfellas, and that great movie food scene with Paulie and Vinne recreating this dish when behind bars.

Godfatherfans will automatically scoff at my choice of favourite mob film and declare Godfatherparts one and two as the greatest movies of all time. End of. But in trying to find out what went into the Goodfellasrecipe, I came across a great website where an American chef decides to recreate the spaghetti in meatballs sauce from both films in an effort to help him decide which is the greatest mob movie of all time. The article is called The Godfather-Goodfellas-pasta-sauce-smackdown(at portablechefnyc.com), which says it all really. Worth a read if you're a film or food nerd.

I have to say, I think the recipe below is tastier than either mob creation – that is down to tasty sausage meat, lots of Parmesan, dried oregano and a simple but well seasoned tomato sauce. The meatballs can be prepared the day before and fried off just before serving, and the tomato sauce can definitely be made the day before and simply reheated then tossed with the cooked spaghetti at the last minute. I think the only things you need to have to hand are a bib, a glass of good red wine and lots of black pepper. Plus a mob movie, for dessert.

Spaghetti with meatballs

Serves 4

I used dried oregano, but if you can get fresh, feel free to chop it finely and substitute one tablespoon of chopped fresh stuff for each teaspoon of dried stuff. Allow between 100g and 150g spaghetti per person, depending on how greedy you are.

Meatballs

Olive oil

2 onions, peeled and finely diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

250g sausage meat

200g minced beef

100g Parmesan, grated

1 egg, beaten

50g breadcrumbs

Pinch nutmeg

Heat up a few glugs of olive oil in a large frying pan and, slowly and gently, sweat the onions and garlic until very soft. Transfer them to a bowl and let them cool fully before mixing in a food processor (or by hand, using lots of elbow grease, or better yet, well washed hands) with the rest of the ingredients. Shape into small golf balls and chill for 10 minutes or overnight.

Heat up another few glugs of olive oil, preferably in a non-stick frying pan oil and fry the meatballs until dark brown all over (about 10 minutes). Keep warm while you heat up the tomato sauce.

Tomato sauce

50ml olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp caster sugar

Splash of red wine

Heat up the olive oil and sweat the garlic along with the bay leaf and oregano, and then add the tinned tomatoes. Season with the sugar, salt and pepper and add a Parmesan rind if you have one spare. Add the red wine and simmer gently for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring, making sure it’s not burning because of the sugar. The Parmesan rind can be rinsed off and used again or else chucked away if it has disintegrated.

To assemble:

Add the meatballs to the hot tomato sauce and heat thoroughly while you cook the spaghetti in big saucepan of boiling salted water, to which you’ve added a splash of olive oil. Cook until it is al dente, then drain and pour another couple of tablespoons of olive oil in and toss. Season the spaghetti and then dish out and spoon the tomato sauce and meatballs over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley (or not!) and plenty of grated Parmesan and black pepper.

See also itsa.ie

Domini suggests . . .

Hottest hot spot for homely café food for breakfast and lunch, courtesy of fellow cook Maisha Lenehan, is Bibi’s, on Emorville Avenue in Dublin 8. But, get off! Thats my table . . .