I’m always up for trying a variety of foods and diets as you know ,so as well as our Meat Free Mondays we have decided to do Vegan Wednesdays, in an effort to cut down on our meat and dairy intake. We are big fans of pasta dishes though and so decided to have a go at making meatless “meat”balls. The ones on this recipe are yummy and filling, at first they were a strange texture to get used to but after the first few bites we really enjoyed them and love the slightly spicy tomato sauce we made to go with them! We had some leftover tagliatelle which was a perfect match! Total calories = Approx 480 per portion!

There is a little more effort to make with this recipe than a lot of my very easy one-pot dishes but I assure you it’s worth it, so allow yourself a good hour to perfect this dish 🙂

Ingredients (for 2 people);

• 20g button mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion , very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 x 200g can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 25g rolled oats
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 25g fresh breadcrumbs
• tagliatelle or spaghetti to serve
• For the tomato sauce;
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 400g chopped tomatoes or passata
  • Small bunch of fresh basic to serve

Method (Takes 45-50 mins to prep & cook);

• To make a start on the meatballs – Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the 1/2 onion and fry over a low heat for 10 mins or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and smoked paprika and cook for 1 min.
• Tip the black beans, mushrooms and oats into a food processor and blitz until you have a chunky, textured mixture. Tip the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir through the miso, breadcrumbs and cooked onion mix. Add a little water if needed, season and roll into 6 balls and chill in the fridge while you make the sauce.
• To make a start on the sauce – Heat 1 tbsp oil in the frying pan. Add the 1/2 onion and fry over a low heat for 10 mins or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 min. Stir through the tomatoes and season to taste. Simmer uncovered for approx 15-20 mins till the sauce is thickened.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the balls to a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, turning over once after 10 mins. The balls should then be heated through and be crispy on the outside.
• Add the cooked meatballs to the pan of sauce and toss everything to coat, then scatter with the basil. Serve with tagliatelle or spaghetti and enjoy!

A very tasty, winning Vegan dish if I do say so myself!

If you have any recipe recommendations or questions or would like to collaborate with me in any way, please just email me at jensfoodblog@gmail.com!

Happy munching!

Jen

https://www.instagram.com/jensfoodblog

https://www.facebook.com/jensfoodblog