Spaghetti bolognese with cheesy pork meatballs

Inspired by meatballs in marinara and spaghetti bolognese, this hybrid pasta dish combines a rich, slow-roasted ragu with mozzarella-stuffed pork meatballs and spaghetti.

If you’re going to master any recipe, spaghetti bolognese has got to be near the top of the list. Shop-bought versions never come close to making your own, plus you can get one over any fussy eaters by hiding a few vegetables in the bolognese and then blitzing everything to a purée.

Personally, I prefer my sauce a little chunkier, but I’ve given you the option to do either. Where I have gone a little rogue is by ditching the beef mince for yeast-free pork meatballs and stuffing them with mozzarella in the centre. Keep it a surprise and you can delight in the looks on peoples’ faces when all that cheesy goodness oozes out!

How To Make Spaghetti Bolognese With Cheesy Pork Meatballs

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Spaghetti bolognese with cheesy pork meatballs
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Yeast free: It might sound odd, but I used a combination of crushed Weetabix and parmesan – rather than breadcrumbs – to help bind the pork mince together. It’s a brilliant hack which avoids using yeast-based products and works just as well when making burgers from scratch, as well as meatloaf, kebabs and sausage rolls.  
• Mix gently: When making the pork meatballs, mix the ingredients just enough to combine. Overworking them can result in dry and dense mince because all that handling squeezes out the moisture.
• Prepare the mozzarella: Cut a block into 1/2 inch cubes and place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before adding to the pork mince. This prevents the cheese from melting too fast during cooking.
• Reserve some pasta water: Adding a splash to your ragu will help it cling to the spaghetti.
• Freezer-friendly: Perfect for batch cooking, the sauce and meatballs can be made in advance and then frozen for up to 3 months if you want to halve the recipe.

Spaghetti bolognese with cheesy pork meatballs

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins 45 mins

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Ingredients

For the meatballs
500g pork mince (5% fat)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 x 30g pack fresh basil, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 Weetabix, crushed
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 large free-range egg, beaten
Pizza mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes so you have 16

For the bolognese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g can peeled plum tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 dried bay leaf
300ml beef stock
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely diced
400g dried spaghetti

Instructions

Step 1
To make the meatballs, combine the pork mince in a bowl with the crushed garlic, basil, smoked paprika, Weetabix and parmesan and mix well. Stir in the beaten egg and use your hands to bind the mixture together. 

Step 2
Roll the pork mince into 16 equal-sized balls (you add the mozzarella later) and lay on a baking tray. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up slightly.

Step 3
To make the Bolognese sauce, heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan or crockpot and sauté the red onion and carrot gently for 10-15 minutes until softened and starting to colour.

Step 4
Stir the garlic, celery salt, fennel seeds, smoked paprika and tomato purée into the onions and cook for 1 minute more. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Wash the tomato cans out with the beef stock and add the liquid to the pan, breaking the tomatoes up as you go.

Step 5
Bring the sauce to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and leave to blip away gently over a low heat for 25-30 minutes or until thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Step 6
Flatten each meatball slightly in the palm of your hand and place a mozzarella cube in the centre. Enclose the filling completely with the meat and shape into a ball again. Repeat 16 times and line them up on a baking tray.

Step 7
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the pork meatballs on all sides until nicely coloured (you may need to do this in batches).

Step 8
Before transferring the meatballs to the Bolognese sauce with the green pepper, you can blitz the sauce using a hand blender until smooth or go with the chunkier texture. Whatever you decide, remember to discard the bay leaf. The meatballs need to simmer for a good 10-15 minutes in the sauce so they are cooked through (they should feel firm and springy to the touch, not soft and squidgy). To double check, cut a piece off the corner – there should be no pink bits visible.

Step 9
Heat a large pan of salted boiling water and cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions.

Step 10
Drain the spaghetti if necessary, reserving a ladleful or two of pasta water. Toss the spaghetti through the Bolognese sauce, adding a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen if needed.  Divide the spaghetti and meatballs between bowls and garnish with basil leaves and parmesan shavings before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Percentage Of Pork Mince Should I Use?

It depends on availability, budget and personal choice. Every recipe should be used as a guide, hence there is no right or wrong answer here. I used 5% lean mince as a healthier option, though 10% or 20% will guarantee moistness and more flavour.

How Do I Stop My Meatballs From Breaking Up?

The key to a loose textured meatball is to avoid overworking the pork mince. Use your hands to bring the mixture together, before rolling them into 16 individual balls.

Is This Recipe Yeast Free?

The meatballs are and the bolognese can be if you use homemade stock or 1 yeast free stock cube, mixed with 300ml of water. M&S now sells frozen bone broth ‘pucks’ which are free from yeast, though my advice is to always check the ingredients list before using.

What’s The Difference Between Plum And Canned Chopped Tomatoes?

Canned tomatoes are picked at their ripest and retain more texture than passata because they are less processed. Canned cherry tomatoes are highly prized because of their wonderfully sweet flavour, while whole peeled ‘plum’ tomatoes are generally favoured over chopped tomatoes because they are the most versatile and fuller in flavour.

It is true that you get what you pay for, so try and seek out the best quality tomatoes to produce a richer and more flavourful sauce.