You just haven't eaten meatballs until you've tried Anneka Manning's (from The Low GI Family Cookbook published by Hachette). The secret is the texture. It's one of those recipes that becomes a family favourite and puts a smile on every face at the end of the day.

You can prepare and cook the meatballs and sauce up to 2 days before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to reheat. It's a good idea to make the tomato sauce first. Alternatively, you can use a bottled passata (one you know has a good flavour) to save time. Serves 4.

400g (14oz) lean beef mince
¾ cup firmly packed breadcrumbs (from day-old multigrain or sourdough bread)
¼ cup reduced fat milk
1 small brown onion, coarsely grated
¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley or basil leaves
¼ cup parmesan, finely grated, plus extra, to serve
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups home-made tomato sauce (see recipe below)
½ cup salt-reduced beef or chicken stock
180g (6oz) good-quality dried spaghetti, cooked until al dente, to serve

Combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, parsley, parmesan, garlic, chilli flakes (if using) and pepper in a medium-sized bowl and use your hands to mix well until evenly combined.

Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place on a plate or tray, cover and set aside.

Combine the Easy Tomato Sauce and stock in a large frying pan and bring to a simmer over high heat.

Add the meatballs in a single layer, reduce heat to low-medium, cover and simmer gently, turning the meatballs halfway through cooking, for 8 minutes or until just cooked through.

Season with pepper. Serve over the spaghetti, sprinkle with the extra grated parmesan and serve accompanied by the green salad.

To make a simple home-made tomato sauce ...

Sauté a finely chopped onion in 2 teaspoons olive oil for about 5–8 minutes until the onion is soft.

Stir in 2 (400g/14oz) cans chopped tomatoes and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and simmer for about 30 minutes or until thickened to a good sauce consistency.

Season to taste with a little sugar (½–1 teaspoon), salt and freshly ground black pepper.