Name: Spaghetti and Cheese balls recipe by Malathy C at BetterButter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Indian cottage cheese / Paneer – 1 cup; Fine breadcrumbs – 1/3 cup; Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup; Milk – 1 tbsp (optional); Fine salt – 1/4 teaspoon (as per taste); Ground black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon (as per spice level); Italian mixed herbs (Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley) – 1 teaspoon; Garlic – 1 clove; Olive oil – 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons (for shallow frying); All purpose flour (Maida) – 1.5 tablespoons; Tomatoes – 8 medium; Onion – 1 medium; Garlic – 4 cloves; Italian mixed herbs – 1/2 tablespoon; Fine salt – 2 teaspoon (as per taste); Ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon (as per spice level); Water – 4 cups (For blanching tomatoes); Olive oil – 2 tablespoon; Spaghetti – 250 grams (~ 1 cup); Water – 1 liter / 4 cups (to soak and boil spaghetti); Olive oil – 1 teaspoon (for cooking spaghetti); Coarse salt – 1/2 tablespoon (for cooking spaghetti)

Ingredients Serving: 4

Indian cottage cheese / Paneer – 1 cup
Fine breadcrumbs – 1/3 cup
Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup
Milk – 1 tbsp (optional)
Fine salt – 1/4 teaspoon (as per taste)
Ground black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon (as per spice level)
Italian mixed herbs (Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley) – 1 teaspoon
Garlic – 1 clove
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons (for shallow frying)
All purpose flour (Maida) – 1.5 tablespoons
Tomatoes – 8 medium
Onion – 1 medium
Garlic – 4 cloves
Italian mixed herbs – 1/2 tablespoon
Fine salt – 2 teaspoon (as per taste)
Ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon (as per spice level)
Water – 4 cups (For blanching tomatoes)
Olive oil – 2 tablespoon
Spaghetti – 250 grams (~ 1 cup)
Water – 1 liter / 4 cups (to soak and boil spaghetti)
Olive oil – 1 teaspoon (for cooking spaghetti)
Coarse salt – 1/2 tablespoon (for cooking spaghetti)

Instructions

Grate Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), parmesan cheese and garlic clove.
In a mixing bowl, add grated Paneer, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil. Then add Italian herbs, salt and black pepper.
Mix them till it becomes a dough. Sprinkle some milk if it is too dry to hold shape.
Take equal portion of dough and shape them small even-size balls (lime sized).
Douse the cheese balls in all-purpose flour slurry (mix a table spoon of water in 1.5 tablespoon of flour).
Heat a frying pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Shallow fry the cheese balls until golden brown on all sides.
Transfer shallow fried cheese balls into a plate.
Keep the fried cheese balls aside till sauce gets ready.
Cut a cross at one edge of tomatoes. Blanch them for at least 5 minutes or until skin peels off at the cut side.
Let the tomatoes cool to handle. Once cooled, remove the core and peel off the skin.
Take a blender and add the tomatoes.
Puree the blanched tomato.
Heat a sauce pan or cooking vessel. Add olive oil, onion and crushed garlic. Once onion becomes translucent, add the tomato purée.
Sprinkle Italian herbs, salt and crushed black pepper.
Cover and cook for at least 45 mins on slow-medium flame, stirring occasionally.
Cook till sauce thickens.
Once sauce thickens, plop the prepared cheese balls and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Turn off the stove.
In a big cooking vessel, add salt to 4 Cups of Water and bring to rolling boil
Drizzle olive oil and add the spaghetti. Ensure all the spaghetti gets soaked up in the boiling water.
Let it cook on medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes or cooked through and tender. Follow instructions on the Spaghetti Pack for the exact duration.
Once cooked, drain the water and rinse in cold water to avoid cooking further.
Take a serving plate, spread cooked spaghetti using tongs.
Scoop a ladle full of tomato sauce with cheese balls and smear them over the spaghetti.
Grate Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with basil leaves.

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