Kaas Frikadelle (Cheese Meatballs with Spaghetti)
Kaas Frikadelle
The meatballs were soft and savoury, with little pockets of melted cheese hiding inside — the sort of surprise that made kids grin and adults quietly take another helping. As they simmered in their tomato-rich sauce, the whole kitchen filled with that homely smell of something hearty on the stove, the kind of aroma that drifted down passages and made people ask, "Is it nearly ready?" Served over a tangle of spaghetti, the sauce clung to every strand, the cheese from the frikadelle melting into the mix and giving the whole dish a richness that felt generous without trying too hard. It was a plate that belonged to busy evenings and school nights.
Ingredients
- 125 g breadcrumbs
- 75 ml milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 500 g minced meat
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Oil for frying
- 4 tsp Italian herbs (reserve 2 tsp for the sauce)
- 150 g mozzarella or mature cheddar, cut into small cubes
- Sauce:
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can tomato purée
- 0.5 cup dry red South African wine
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- 2 tsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
Method
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until soft, then blend if needed to a finer texture.
- Beat the egg and mix into the soaked crumbs.
- Add the mince, salt, pepper and 2 tsp Italian herbs (reserve the other 2 tsp for the sauce). Mix well.
- Take a tablespoon of the meat mixture, press flat, place one cube of mozzarella in the centre and form into a meatball, enclosing the cheese.
- Fry a few frikadelle at a time in hot oil until browned on all sides. Remove and keep warm.
- For the sauce:
- Combine the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, red wine, Italian herbs, sugar, salt and chilli flakes.
- Simmer the sauce for about 12 minutes, then add the fried frikadelle to warm through.
- Serve with cooked spaghetti.