Spaghetti & Meatless Balls

A full family pleaser.....

This is a great dish if you have meat and none meat eaters, as the sauce is cooked separately and added to the cooked meatless balls.

You will need to get the beans and lentils nice and dry to ensure the balls hold together. Once made the meatballs freeze well before cooking, separate on a tray to freeze, once frozen can be placed together in a box or bag.

Cooking the sauce for a long time gives a lovely thick sweet tomato sauce, however if you are pushed for time it is not necessary.

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 Tbsp rapeseed/olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tins tomatoes

2 tsp mixed dried herbs or 2 tbsp fresh herbs such as oregano, basil or rosemary or marjoram

Meatless balls:

1 egg or a flax egg (1 tbsp milled flax seeds + 3 tbsp water)

1/2 red onion, roughly diced

1 fat clove garlic, sliced or crushed

400g tin black beans, rinsed & very well drained

400g tin lentils, rinsed and very well drained

100g (about 3 tbsp) cooked quinoa/brown rice or 3-4 crackers crushed

3-4 tbsp corn flour

a handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper

1 tbsp oil, if frying

Fresh herbs, parmesan or nutritional yeast and spaghetti or other pasta to serve

1. If using flaxseed for egg, mix flaxseed and water, place in fridge to thicken.

2. To make the sauce, fry onions and garlic over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add tomato puree, fry for a minute then add tinned tomatoes and any desired dried herbs. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook, stirring occasionally, whilst making meatless balls.

3. Thoroughly drain beans and lentils, use kitchen roll or a clean tea towel to absorb as much moisture as you can.

4. Add beans and lentils to a blender with all other ingredients, including chilled flaxseed egg if using. Pulse mixture until it is pureed, you may need to stop and push ingredients down to ensure all are blended. Place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

5. If frying, place frying pan over a medium heat or preheat oven to 200/180 fan/gas mark 6 if baking.

6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. With floured or oiled hands, roll mixture into golf ball size balls and place spaced out on the baking tray.

5. Either bake the meatless balls in the oven for around 20 minutes, or cook in the frying pan in oil in 2 batches for about 10 mins each, turning a few times gently during in cooking to allow even colouring. Cook pasta, according to packet instructions, to be ready a few minutes after the meatless balls.

6. Add any chopped fresh herbs to your tomato sauce and serve over the meatless balls on the pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese or nutritional yeaat.