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Vegetarian Spaghetti and Meatballs
In this vegetarian take on the Italian-American classic, beef and pork meatballs are swapped for aubergine balls, which are baked before being tossed in a delicious homemade tomato and basil sauce. Though they’re 100% meat-free, they’re full of flavour thanks to a combination of umami forward ingredients, including sundried tomato, olive paste and parmigiano reggiano.
Note: these meat(less)balls are on the soft, dare I say, mushy side, which isn’t for everyone. But they hold up well in the sauce and are delicious!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Meat, Pasta, Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the roasted aubergine mix:
- 2 small aubergines (approx. 250g each)
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 2 tsps dried Italian herbs
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- extra-virgin olive oil
For the meatless balls:
- 70 g sundried tomato paste
- 50 g black olive tapenade
- 50 g cooked Puy lentils
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 50 g parmigiano reggiano, grated
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- extra-virgin olive oil
To serve:
- 400 g dried pasta of choice
- grated parmigiano reggiano
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 220℃. Cut the aubergines into 2cm chunks (approx.) and transfer to a large roasting tin. Add the onion, garlic, Italian herbs, salt and freshly-ground black pepper. It might look like too much salt, but we won’t be adding any more throughout the recipe.
- Drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil and toss to combine. Roast for 30 to 35 mins, or until nicely browned. While the aubergine is roasting, prepare the Simple Tomato and Basil Sauce.
- Let the aubergine mix cool for 10 to 15 mins. Transfer it to a food processor and add the sundried tomato paste, black olive tapenade, Puy lentils and basil. Blitz until well-combined. You want it to have some texture; it shouldn’t be complete mush.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the parmigiano reggiano, breadcrumbs and egg and mix well to combine.
- Heat your oven to 220℃. Roll the mixture into 1 heaped tablespoon-sized balls. It helps to lightly oil or dampen your hands when doing this.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the tray and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 mins, or until browned and firm on the outside.
- To serve, cook your pasta of choice in generously salted water until just short of al dente (1 to 2 minutes less than instructed on the package). Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Add ¾ of the tomato and basil sauce to the pasta, along with a ladleful or two of the pasta cooking water, and toss over medium-high heat until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce nicely coats it.
- Divide the pasta between bowls and top with the meatless balls. Top with the remaining sauce and a sprinkle of grated parmigiano reggiano and serve – enjoy!
Notes
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