Fish-and-fennel meatball spaghetti — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

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Some of cinema’s most captivating moments revolve around food, from Audrey Hepburn eating a pastry and sipping coffee out of a cardboard cup outside Tiffany’s, to John Travolta and Uma Thurman chowing down on burgers and sharing a five-dollar shake in Pulp Fiction.

Lady and the Tramp offers one of the most unlikely scenes of wooing between two animated dogs, the elegant, doe-eyed Lady and street‑smart ruffian Tramp. In case you are unfamiliar, let me set the scene: as the canine couple share a giant bowl of meatballs and spaghetti, they nibble down a strand of pasta that happens to be the same piece, and, as they work their way through it, their snouts grow closer, eventually resulting in a “kiss”.

There is something about a nostalgic, simple dish that is sincere, unfussy and imbued with love. It’s a heart-warming Italian-American classic, hefty pucks of meat that are both rustic and comforting. This recipe is not that exactly. While it feels familiar, it’s much lighter and brighter and, as a result, far more conducive to romance. The idea comes from polpette di pesce al sugo, which I first ate in Sicily and have been riffing on endlessly since.

In Sicily, the “meatballs”, or polpette, are made with delicate flecks of swordfish and served in a simple tomato sauce, but I use white fish such as cod or pollock, which is far more economical. For my sauce, I have taken the liberty of adding preserved lemons and capers that bring a briny-citrus freshness and nod to Sicily’s Moorish past.

Serve with toothsome spaghetti or warm bread. Remember, there is no greater chivalry than offering your sweetheart your last meatball.

Fish-and-fennel meatball spaghetti

SERVES 4

For the meatballs

For the sauce

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a casserole or frying pan. Once it’s warm, sauté the fennel until it is very soft, but not coloured. Set aside to cool.

2. Finely chop the fish, or mince it in a food processor. Then place it in a large bowl along with the cooled fennel, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Then use your hands to bring everything together. If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful more of breadcrumbs.

3. Scoop out a large tablespoon of the mixture one at a time and then shape into gobstopper-sized balls. Once rolled, leave them to rest in the fridge.

4. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan you fried the fennel in. Add the garlic, oregano and pul biber. Once fragrant, add the chopped tomatoes and 400ml water. Simmer for 25 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

5. Next add the preserved lemon, capers and fish balls. Simmer for another 20 minutes, turning them gently from time to time and adding a little more water if the sauce looks too reduced.

6. Finish with the chopped parsley and lemon juice. Serve with spaghetti or warm bread.

Ravinder Bhogal is chef-patron of . Follow Ravinder on Instagram

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