Home-made meatballs in Napoletana sauce

For the Napoletana sauce, place the 3 minced garlic cloves and the roughly chopped onion, along with the remaining sauce ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.

For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the 2 crushed garlic cloves and the grated onion, along with the remaining meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, knead the mixture until well combined. Use a large tablespoon to scoop dollops of the mixture. Roll each spoonful between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the meatballs to an ovenproof skillet. Pour the Napoletana sauce over the meatballs. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan/Grana Padano. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are cooked, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with wholewheat spaghetti, if desired.