Vegan Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs
By Afton CyrusPublished on November 6, 2019
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Sauce and Pasta
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped fineSalt and pepper 4 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon tomato paste ¼ cup dry red wine ½ cup chopped fresh basil ½ teaspoon organic sugar 1 pound spaghettiMeatless Meatballs
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered4 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (1¾ cups)1 onion, chopped4 garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground (1 tablespoon)Salt and pepper 12 ounces vegan protein crumbles, broken into small pieces1 cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons aquafabaBefore You Begin
To make the porcini powder, grind the dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder until they are reduced to fine dust. Serve with our Vegan Parmesan Substitute.
Instructions
- Process tomatoes in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until onion is softened and just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in processed tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in ¼ cup basil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste; cover to keep warm. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray. Pulse cremini mushrooms in clean, dry food processor until pieces are no larger than ¼ inch, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to bowl. Pulse eggplant, onion, and garlic in now-empty processor until chopped fine, 6 to 8 pulses; transfer to bowl with mushrooms.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add processed vegetables, ground porcini mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until vegetables are well browned, about 15 minutes; transfer to large bowl.
- Add protein crumbles, panko, parsley, and aquafaba to bowl with browned vegetables and toss to combine. Using your hands, knead mixture well until cohesive and sticky, about 1 minute.
- Shape mushroom mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and space evenly on prepared sheet. Bake until browned and firm, 25 to 30 minutes, gently turning meatballs and rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to pot. Measure out 4 cups sauce and toss with pasta to combine. Top individual portions of spaghetti with meatballs and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup basil. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
for the sauce
for the meatballs
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Sauce and Pasta
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon organic sugar
1 pound spaghetti
Meatless Meatballs
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground (1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper
12 ounces vegan protein crumbles, broken into small pieces
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons aquafaba
Ingredients
Sauce and Pasta
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon organic sugar
1 pound spaghetti
Meatless Meatballs
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground (1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper
12 ounces vegan protein crumbles, broken into small pieces
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons aquafaba
Ingredients
Sauce and Pasta
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon organic sugar
1 pound spaghetti
Meatless Meatballs
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground (1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper
12 ounces vegan protein crumbles, broken into small pieces
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons aquafaba
Why This Recipe Works
A full pound of meaty cremini mushrooms, pulsed fine in a food processor and deeply browned in a skillet, boosted the savory flavor and meaty texture. Both of these ingredients are crumbly, so we needed a strong binder. Stirring panko bread crumbs and aquafaba into the mix helped, but the meatballs still lacked cohesiveness. We found that 4 ounces of chopped eggplant, sautéed with the mushrooms, provided a lovely silky texture without too strong a flavor.
Before You Begin
To make the porcini powder, grind the dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder until they are reduced to fine dust. Serve with our Vegan Parmesan Substitute.
Instructions
- Process tomatoes in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until onion is softened and just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in processed tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in ¼ cup basil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste; cover to keep warm. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray. Pulse cremini mushrooms in clean, dry food processor until pieces are no larger than ¼ inch, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to bowl. Pulse eggplant, onion, and garlic in now-empty processor until chopped fine, 6 to 8 pulses; transfer to bowl with mushrooms.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add processed vegetables, ground porcini mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until vegetables are well browned, about 15 minutes; transfer to large bowl.
- Add protein crumbles, panko, parsley, and aquafaba to bowl with browned vegetables and toss to combine. Using your hands, knead mixture well until cohesive and sticky, about 1 minute.
- Shape mushroom mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and space evenly on prepared sheet. Bake until browned and firm, 25 to 30 minutes, gently turning meatballs and rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to pot. Measure out 4 cups sauce and toss with pasta to combine. Top individual portions of spaghetti with meatballs and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup basil. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
for the sauce
for the meatballs
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