WHAT’S COOKING: Spaghetti and meatballs with sugo al pomodoro (Italian tomato sauce)

The first film I ever saw – or the first I remember seeing – was Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, and I’ve never forgotten the scene in which Lady and Tramp sort-of-accidentally kiss in Tony’s Restaurant. Is this where my love of cuisine in popular culture was kindled? Could well be.The fictional animated canine pair are eating a single strand of spaghetti over a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, the Italian-American classic family supper. Restaurateur Tony (voiced by George Givot) sings Bella Notte, while the world melted at the paws of two animated dogs.Watch the famous scene:Disney released the film in 1955, the year I was born, so it must have been a well-worn classic by the time I was old enough to see and remember it. I watched it again not long ago with my grandkids, and so much was amazingly familiar. Some things stay with us.Spotting a pack of pre-made meatballs at my local store this week, while on the prowl for recipe ideas, the film, the scene and the meal came to mind, so I popped it in the basket and headed home, determined to make good old spaghetti and meatballs.But I also determined to make a proper Italian tomato sauce for it, sugo al pomodoro. Not pomodoro al sugo, as might sound likely to be right: sugo comes first.Ever eaten pasta only with grated cheese? With the cheese melting into the pasta as they almost become one? It’s a wonderful thing, the texture, the taste, and the simplicity of it. In old Naples, this was how pasta was eaten, until some street vendors started adding a simple tomato sauce to their pasta along with cheese.Italians had been suspicious of tomatoes since their introduction to the country in the 1500s and, since Italians take things nice and easy, it took forever for the strange foreign red orbs to be assimilated into their cuisine. Ultimately, of course, their absorption of the humble tomato came to epitomise the phrase “making it your own”.I decided I would simply pan fry the little beef meatballs I had bought in a little olive oil with garlic, season them with salt and black pepper, and throw some dried Italian herbs in at the end. (There’s a recipe of mine below if you’d rather make your own meatballs, but those I bought, which were from Checkers, were really good.) All they needed was to be rolled around in the oil and garlic on a moderate heat until golden and cooked through.Get hold of some cans of San Marzano Italian tomatoes if you can, but don’t be shy to use what you can get or afford. It’s what happens on the stove, in the pot, that will make this sauce special.Tony’s spaghetti and meatballs(Serves 4)IngredientsFor the meatballs:3 or 4 Tbsp olive oil12 small meatballs (about 500g), shop-bought(Or use this meatballs recipe to make your own, but make 16 meatballs since the quantity of mince is greater)Salt and black pepper to taste12 tsp dried Italian herbsFor the sugo al pomodoro:4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil4 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled and then chopped finely2 x 400g cans of Italian chopped tomatoes (or 800g San Marzano tomatoes, chopped)Salt to tasteA handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into tiny pieces by handFor the spaghetti and to serve:1 x 250g packet of decent quality spaghetti, boiled until al dente and drainedA little saltA drizzle of olive oilBasil for garnishFinely grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)MethodPlunge the pasta into a pot of rapidly boiling, lightly salted water. Cook until al dente, then tip into a colander over the sink. Shake the colander a few times, then drizzle in a little olive oil. Toss with a pasta spoon and reserve.Chop the garlic.Add a fairly generous amount of olive oil to a cold, heavy pan.Add the chopped garlic while the pan is still cold, then turn it on to a low heat.Cook gently, without the oil bubbling, for 2 minutes or so, then add all of the tomatoes.Season with salt and stir.Bring the pot to a simmer and cook on a moderately low heat for 30 minutes, for the flavours to develop.Tear up fresh basil leaves and stir them in.Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a heavy pan and add the meatballs. Season with salt and black pepper. Roll them around over a moderate heat, turning often, until they are golden on all sides, about 15 minutes of moderately cooking. Add some dried Italian herbs at the end, and toss.Serve a pile of pasta on each plate, spoon plenty of tomato sauce in the centre, and add meatballs. Grate some Parmesan over if you like, and add a jaunty basil leaf. DMTo buy a copy of Tony Jackman’s Retro Karoo Food (Penguin Random House) signed by the author in gold, send an email to him at tony@dailymaverick.co.za. Or buy it through the Daily Maverick Shop.Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.