Vegan Recipe of the Week - Spaghetti and Meatballs

I thought it would be nice to make some vegan meatballs to go with spaghetti instead of my usual pasta sauce. Serves 4.

Here is what you need:

For the meatballs:

1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 white or red onion, chopped finely
6 button mushrooms. chopped finely
40g breadcrumbs
handful of basil and parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:

1 500g carton of pasata
1 tsp apple cyder vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp mixed Italian herbs
Salt
Pepper

Spaghetti
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Rinse and mash the beans in a large bowl and set to one side.

In a frying pan, add some olive oil and then when hot add the chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms and fresh herbs. Saute for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the onions are turning brown, then add the balsamic vinegar and turn up the heat for 30 seconds to reduce. Once the heat is off add the spices and seasoning.

Add the sauteed mixture to the mashed beans, then stir in the nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for an hour.

Meanwhile make your sauce by adding all of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and heating gently for around 10 minutes.

Take your chilled bean mixture from the fridge and shape into 16 meatballs. Heat a little olive oil in a griddle pan and fry the meatballs until coloured all over (around 3 minutes).

Pour your pasta sauce into a casserole dish and gently place the meatballs into the sauce. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven uncovered at 180C for around 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile boil the pasta according the the instructions on the packet and drain. Place into bowls.

Take the sauce and meatball mixture from the oven, give a quick stir to incorporate the meatballs and pour over your spaghetti. Sprinkle with some vegan parmesan and a little fresh basil.

Eat and Enjoy! If you enjoyed this recipe, please click here to see more of my recipes.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Beanfeast Bolognese

Batchelors Beanfeast Bolognese is a dried packet mix to which you add water and heat in a saucepan to create a soya mince sauce to serve with spaghetti. It is quick and easy, it doesn't taste as good as making your own but if you need a satisfying meal for two in a hurry, it's great to keep in the store cupboard. The mix is sold at most major supermarkets for around £1 and takes around 12-15 minutes to make, so you can make it while the pasta is boiling. Serve stirred through spaghetti and grated with a little vegan cheese and vegan powdered parmesan. Great for a meal in a hurry! 

If homemade cooking is more your style, pop back tomorrow for my Vegan Recipe of the Week. 

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto

This week it is Halloween and you may be carving a pumpkin or two in your house. If so, keep all of those seeds you scoop out of the middle and make this gorgeous Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Above I have tossed it through some spaghetti with vegan chorizo and Vegusto cheese, served with fresh basil and a side salad.

Here's what you will need (serves 4):

70g pumpkin seeds - shelled

2 Tbsp of grated vegan parmesan

2 tsp olive oil for roasting

2 cloves of garlic

20g basil leaves

30g parsley leaves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

80g olive oil for the pesto

salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with tin foil.

Place the pumpkin seeds in a bowl, stir in the olive oil and salt to coat and spread out on the baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes until they begin to pop. Remove from oven and leave to cool on the baking tray.

Combine the cooled pumpkin seeds, parmesan and garlic in a food processor for around 20 second until ground. Add the basil leaves, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse for another 30-40 seconds and combine to a coarse paste. 

Transfer to a bowl, taste and season with salt as required. Serve over hot pasta and grate fresh vegan cheese over the top.

Eat and Enjoy!

This keeps in the fridge for 48 hours.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx