Spaghetti & No-Meatballs it is. Rolling, round, plump, tender balls piled high on a steamy swirl of spaghetti, bright marinara sauce spooned on top. A pinch of basil or parsley, and dusting of vegan Parmesan. A thick, sweet aroma of garlic and tomato wafting through the warm kitchen air. Dive into this Italian bowl, fit for a vegan pasta-night feast! Try this classic-inspired dish..
Craving. I was browsing the web and saw the prettiest photo of a big bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs, so like usual, I hopped in the kitchen to veganize the image in my head.
I was really "winging it" with this recipe, hoping that my no-meat balls would stay together. And though they were very tender and easily breakable with my fork, they held quite well and tasted amazing. The ball texture and prep process is reminiscent of my bean fritter and veggie burger patty recipes.
I didn't want to use soy for this one, and wanted as many whole foods in my no-meatballs as possible. You can actually make vegan meatballs out of a variety of ingredients: lentils, beans, mushrooms, TVP, rice (other grains) or easy faux ground "beef" products too.
Meatless Balls. For this recipe, I decided on a combination of beans and mushrooms, simple seasonings and a splash of red wine really boosted the flavor too. Plenty of garlic, some onion, Italian-seasoned Panko (gluten-free) bread crumbs, other spices and some parsley. I chose pinto beans simply because A. I had them on hand and B. I know their brownish color would look "faux meatball" like.
..that being said you could easily use any soft bean like cannellini or even black beans. You just need to be able to mash the cooked bean with a fork. Garbanzo beans are probably a bit too firm and flaky for this recipe. The mashed beans really help to bind the rest of the ingredients with their natural stickiness.
You can also change up the variety of mushrooms you use. I used oyster mushroom, but shiitake or portobella would work too. Even plain old white mushrooms (which are a bit firm and crumbly when raw) would work since you are sauteing them first to make them tender.
Method. Yes the instructions are long, but the technique is very similar to making veggie burgers. Mash and saute. And yes you could totally form your balls and just BAKE them to perfection. (I know many of you prefer not to fry.) I did a simple saute + braised them in my sauce until warm and tender.
After saute, before sauce-dunking..
Marinara hot tub..
After cooking in the sauce..
Pasta assembly time..
Dive in..
Spaghetti & No-Meatballs
vegan, makes about 8-12 no-meatballs (depending on size)
No-Meatballs:
1 ½ cups (1 - 15 ounce can) beans, drained/rinsed in hot water
*I used pinto beans
¾ cup white onion, diced
⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
*try soft oyster or shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoon red wine
½ cup Italian-seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (fine)
2 teaspoon chopped garlic(roasted or raw)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fine black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder (or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
¼ cup nutritional yeast (or more bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for saute
Also:
spaghetti pasta (any variety)
marinara sauce (bottled or make your own, my marinara recipe)
chopped basil or parsley garnish
vegan Parmesan on top (optional)
Directions:
1. Start by opening your can of beans and rinsing the beans very well in hot water. This will help soften the beans for easy mashing.
2. Add the rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork, very well.
3. Prep your ingredients by chopping the parsley, onion and mushrooms.
4. In a large saute pan, over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot add in the onions, mushrooms, parsley and garlic. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, reducing heat to medium about a minute after cooking.
5. When the saute mixture has reduced in volume quite a bit and onions caramelizing, turn off heat and add in your splash of red wine. Turn heat back on to high for one more minute.
6. Just before you turn off the heat you can add in the salt, chili powder, pepper and any additional spices you may like to add. You can taste the mixture and it should be slightly "over-seasoned" since the beans have not been seasoned yet.
7. Fold the saute mixture into the beans. Then fold in the bread crumbs and the nutritional yeast. Your mixture should be quite sticky and thick now. Add more yeast or bread crumbs if your mixture needs thickening.
8. You can either place your mixture in the fridge to chill for a half hour (to help with handling, or just go right into the saute process.
9. Pause a moment and heat up your pasta water pot and also pour your pasta sauce into a large oven-friendly dish. Place the pasta sauce dish in a 375 degree oven to heat.
10. Saute your balls: Heat a splash of olive oil in your saute pan and add your formed balls. I like to roll my formed balls in a bit of the bread crumbs before placing on the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about one minute on each side. You really just want to cook and caramelize that outside edge of the balls. The remaining "cooking" will be done in the oven. *you could also just keep it a bit lighter and simple and bake your balls. However you will be missing out on those caramelized edges from the saute step, and tender sauce spots from the braising step.*
11. Drop your pasta into the pot when the water is boiling. Cook until tender. Drain and toss warm pasta with some red pepper flakes (optional) and EVOO. Spoon about 1 cup of the pasta sauce over top the pasta and toss well. Set aside, covered for now.
12. Take your sauteed balls and carefully place them in the now-hot pasta sauce dish. Then place the pasta dish back in the oven to braise the balls for at least 20 minutes. Oven heat can be 375-400 degrees. Do not cover the dish.
13. Now for assembly! Carefully remove the braised balls from the sauce and set aside. Then in a large bowl or your serving bowl, toss the hot pasta sauce with the warm pasta. Or you can just pour sauce over top pasta and not toss. Add balls over top to serve.
Freshly chopped parsley or basil on top is very nice.
Experimenting with square balls. Because they just make more sense for the saute portion! Easier to flip..
Sauce-braising the balls..
Susi Price says
This looks gorgeous, but I have already hit a snag. Nutritional yeast? I don't know what that is. Also struggling with cups as, living in France we use grams. Please help!!
Carole says
This looks great! I was wondering what would be a good substitute for the red wine in this recipe?
commiesuchka says
I made these the other night and they are the absolute best meat balls I have tried. I have never had meat balls made from dead animals, so I can't compare it to that, but I've made others hoping to impress my little food critic. These are the only ones he has agreed to eat. Now he wont leave me alone..he wants them every night for dinner! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
That is awesome!!! Thank you 🙂
Annette says
I made these and they were fabulous. I baked them and they were still great. Excellent!
Sloane says
Kathy, I have been a vegetarian for two years and am now trying to eliminate dairy from my diet. I was so pleased to finally stumble across your website. I have just made these meatballs and, my goodness, they are out of this world!!! I have yet to find a meat substitute for recipes that I think is good. This is it. The holy grail of no-meat meatballs. Thank you! I'm making your gorgeous tomato kale stew tomorrow. Can't wait!
Monte says
This looks really good! I have a date this coming up Thursday, she's a vegetarian, I am not. I'm going to try and surprise her with this! Wish me luck 🙂
vincent says
I have just made the meatballs and they are delicious.
Unfortunately they are quite soft.
What do you think i have done wrong?
Vincent
Kathy Patalsky says
They are indeed very soft! But that is why I love them. For firmer texture you could just bake them on a baking sheet.
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh yay thank you! 🙂
Natalie DiPaolo says
This recipe is absolutely FANTASTIC. I committed to a vegetarian diet about a year ago and simply love your recipes—however, this one is by far the most wonderful one yet. I'm an italian girl and have dearly missed meatballs. This recipe is a game changer. It was SO easy to make and they were so delicious. The taste was spot on, and the texture was perfection! They reminded me so much of the meatballs I grew up eating (classic italian MEATballs). I've tried other vegan "meat"balls (ones made mostly of nuts) and they just don't compare. My dad tried them and he can't stop raving about that—which says a lot, since he refuses to entertain the thought of a meat-less diet. Thank you so much for your brilliance in the kitchen! Can't wait to make them again!
Lisa @ 50 Things to Know says
Thanks for this post. Can not wait to try it!
sara_mita says
I JUST made this and served it up to my hubby. We enjoyed it so much. This recipe is definitely a keeper! MMM cant wait to eat the left overs tomorrow!
Andrea McCue says
I have been eating vegan for a week, and your site has made it so easy and fun! I loved these - I made them tonight and they were fantastic. Thank you!
Gittoh says
thank you 🙂 ! I will definitely try this!
Kathy Patalsky says
You are essentially simmering the balls in the sauce in the oven for a few minutes to intensify the flavor and cook the balls through the center...
Kathy Patalsky says
You braise the balls in the oven then add them to the sauced pasta to serve.
Gittoh says
I dont get the last part 🙁
step 11- 13.
You cook the pasta and then cover it with 1 cup of the finished tomato sauce right?
Then you do what with the no-meatballs and the oven?? : )
Liz C says
Can these be frozen? They look amazing!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you! So excited to hear that! Glad you enjoyed the recipe too.
Ava says
I made these tonight and they were delicious! Thank you! I also ordered your book today. I'm excited for its release!
Angela Josephine says
Thanks for this amazing recipe! I come from an Italian family and making no-meat meatballs is almost blasphemy. I tried this out yesterday for our 24th wedding anniversary and both my husband and I LOVED it. I got the same yummy, comfort food feeling I look forward to when eating spaghetti and meatballs - however, I felt so much better afterwards. So glad I found your blog!
Kathy Patalsky says
the bread crumbs help to thicken the meatballs. You could sub more nutritional yeast for an ultra cheezy taste. Or omit the bread and sub in short grain brown rice or lentils or quinoa... worth a try!!
Kyra says
@lunchboxbunch:disqus I love your recipes, and you have one of the most enjoyable blogs I've ever seen 🙂 Is there any way I can replace the breadcrumbs? Or omit them? Thanks!
mike says
I made this last night and it was amazing! Plain spaghetti was getting old and this was the perfect way to spice it up! I follow the recipe exactly and the meatballs were flavorful and perfect consistency. I don't know how you come up with these great recipes but you do a wonderful job!
Kathy Patalsky says
I did not submerge in sauce, but rather very very carefully spooned them on top of the sauce like n a bed. Then carefully removed after a short warming in oven. So they are delicate for sure.
Linda says
Mine were doing great until I put them in the sauce and then they came apart, almost like they were melting. I am wondering if it was because I didn't put mushrooms in, instead put in 2 tablespoons mushroom powder. We don't like the texture of mushrooms. What do you think of adding a flax egg?
Kathy Patalsky says
Woohoo! Thnx for sharing 🙂
Edith Cardenas Michmerhuizen says
I made this tonight and it was a hit! Loved it!
Kelly @ Vegan Iowan says
Thank you so much for sharing! As a new vegan I've been struggling to incorporate my husband's Italian family recipes, particularly spaghetti and meatballs. I am SO looking forward to sharing this recipe with him!
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh super! I love white beans in this type if recipe.
Sarah Maccarelli Jordan says
Thanks so much for the recipe. I made these last night using white beans (and minus the mushrooms) and they were so delicious and flavorful.
Ashley Page says
Hi there- what made you repulsed by mushrooms? Was it the smell since you lived by a plant? Just curious!
Jo @ Including Cake says
square 'meat'balls = hilarious!! 🙂
Natalie Roussy says
Just made this for dinner tonight.... Belly is so full right now from eating too much! Had meant to freeze half but ended up eating it all it was so good!!! Thank you!!!
Guest says
I mean "tries"...;) Hate it when I misspell(it's the geek in me).
Melissa Dominguez says
Just made this right now! Absolutely delicious!!!
LaLaLovely76 says
Yumm!!
John Hartil says
Excellent, I was just thinking about spaghetti and vegie mince but think I will give this a try!
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
Yum, I'm sure this hits just the right spot after a long day 🙂
What should I eat for breakfas says
You've seen the most beautiful picture of spaghetti and meatballs? I think I'm looking on it right now. And it's vegan, thank you so much!
ann chervin says
@Melanie, what about chopped grilled eggplant to sub for the mushrooms?
Terita Heath-Wlaz says
I love that they're made from real, whole ingredients! A Tbls. of ground flaxseeds would help them bind extra well.
Joanna says
looks awesome! going to try this one!