Steps

1. Finely chop the onion.
   🕒 01:19
2. In a bowl, combine the ground pork and beef mix (200g) and the chopped onion (1/4).
   🕒 01:38
3. Add salt (to taste) and potato starch (1 tbsp), then mix thoroughly by mashing with a rubber spatula. [Key tip!] Adding potato starch prevents meat juices from escaping and results in tender meat.
   🕒 01:56
4. Boil 1.5L of water in a separate pot.
   🕒 02:32
5. Dissolve 1 tbsp of salt in the boiling water.
   🕒 02:39
6. Cook the thick spaghetti (160g) according to package directions, or for 1 minute longer. [Key tip!] Thick spaghetti provides a chewy texture and helps the sauce cling well.
   🕒 03:02
7. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil (to taste) in a frying pan over medium heat.
   🕒 03:28
8. Form the mixed ground meat into bite-sized balls and add them to the frying pan to cook.
   🕒 03:42
9. Once browned, flip and cook until golden brown all over. It's okay if some pieces break apart.
   🕒 04:08
10. Stir everything together.
    🕒 04:53
11. Once browned, add grated garlic (to taste) and sauté until fragrant.
    🕒 04:58
12. Add whole tomatoes (1/2 can, 200g) and tomato ketchup (3-4 tbsp) and mix.
    🕒 05:04
13. Add about 1 ladleful of pasta cooking water to blend everything, then simmer to reduce.
    🕒 05:25
14. Taste and if it's too acidic, add sugar (to taste) for sweetness. Simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. Adjust the texture of the meat to your preference.
    🕒 05:53
15. Add the cooked pasta to the frying pan and coat thoroughly with the sauce. If it's too thick, adjust with pasta cooking water.
    🕒 06:30
16. Lightly simmer to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.
    🕒 07:00
17. Add grated cheese (to taste) for extra richness and flavor, if desired.
    🕒 07:17
18. Taste and add more tomato ketchup (to taste) if you want more depth.
    🕒 07:30
19. Plate generously.
    🕒 07:44
20. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese (to taste) as a final garnish, if desired.
    🕒 08:00