INGREDIENTS
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1 small carrot, finely grated
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp dill, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 800 g linguine
- 3 cups Pecorino Romano or Cretan Graviera cheese, grated
- 25 g fresh butter, optional
EQUIPMENT
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife & grater
- Plate for shaping meatballs
- Large pot
- Colander
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Cheese grater
METHOD
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, garlic, spring onion, carrot, dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well with your hands for about 1 minute, until fully combined.
- Shape into small meatballs, about the size of a cherry tomato, and place them on a plate.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the linguine and meatballs to the pot, season with salt, and cook for about 12–14 minutes (follow pasta package instructions).
- Drain most of the water, keeping about 1 cup of pasta water aside.
- In the same pot, add the butter (if using), return the linguine and meatballs, along with the grated cheese and reserved hot water.
- Toss gently to coat, until the cheese melts and forms a light creamy sauce without breaking the meatballs.
- Serve immediately with extra grated cheese, pepper, and fresh dill.
NOTES
For a lighter version, skip the butter. You can also replace half of the beef with ground turkey for a leaner result.
