Just remember that an ordinary life can be full of beauty. Not because it’s filled with great big moments, but because it’s made up up small, quiet ones.

This day was an ordinary day. Nothing really exciting happened, and in some ways it was very much like any other day. But there is nonetheless something special about it, even among the ordinary. What really made my day today was spaghetti and meatballs. That’s right. It was that good.

And come to think of it – that’s what spaghetti and meatballs is all about, isn’t it? Bringing some sort of comfort to your day.

I have a few favourite meals, and one of them is pretty special because I can use many ingredients from our garden, and it’s also a meal that everybody in our family absolutely loves — spaghetti and meatballs, yes, but not just any regular spaghetti and meatballs. My recipe has a bit of a twist.

I decided to make the pasta sauce using veggies from our garden, and it turned out so good that I will definitely make this recipe again.

So here’s the twist: we have lactose intolerance in our family so instead of adding milk to the bread crumbs I added tomato juice. And it turned out really good. Why have I never tried this before?

I had put some tomatoes in the slow cooker the night before, and added some more during the course of the day. We’re at a point now where we have so many tomatoes to use up, and I’m always trying to think up ways to do that. And these are slicing tomatoes, which are juicer. Ideally you would use paste tomatoes like Roma or Amish paste, but these were what we had and it worked just fine. We also like to grow a variety called Albenga, it’s a good one for both sauces and eating fresh.

Spaghetti and meatballs always hit the spot — and they make the best leftovers, too. Baking the meatballs makes the whole process even more enjoyable, because you don’t have to deal with greasy pans and oil splattering everywhere.

Flavourful – It’s rich but not too rich, bursting with flavour.

Easy – Baking the meatballs is key! And it’s less messy than frying them.

A Real People Pleaser – Who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs? It’s the perfect meal for all palates, young and old, picky and refined.

• 1 pound ground meat (I use a mixture of pork and beef)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce (or milk, if you wish)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2 large eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• A big bowl of fresh tomatoes, or 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• Chopped garden veggies (squash and red peppers are my faves – but optional)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 pound dried spaghetti

To make the meatballs:

Step 1: Soak the breadcrumbs in tomato sauce for 10 minutes.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, soaked breadcrumbs, parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and fried onions and garlic. I prefer using a fork to stir everything together — it breaks up the eggs and helps distribute the meat evenly.

Step 3: Shape the mixture into meatballs about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter, and place them on a plate. If time allows, refrigerate them for around 30 minutes to help them firm up and hold their shape better when cooking.

Step 4: Bake meatballs at 400°F (200°C) for 18–20 minutes.