Spaghetti and Beetballs

SPAGHETTI AND BEETBALLS

Recipe Courtesy of Feasting at Home

Vegan Spaghetti and Beetballs!  A beautiful twist on the comforting familiar classic.  Beets, black beans, walnuts, and basil make these plant-based meatballs scrumptious and so satisfying.  Top with an easy rustic tomato sauce for a meal the whole family will love! 

Ingredients for Spaghetti and Beetballs

beetballs (makes 24)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium beet, chopped in roughly 1/2 inch chunks (5oz or roughly 1 cup full)
• 1 medium carrot, chopped in roughly 1/2 inch chunks ( 2 1/2 oz or roughly ½ cup)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire
• 1/8 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground psyllium (see notes)
• 1 cup or 3 oz walnuts, toasted  
• 1 cup or 1 oz fresh basil leaves 
• 15 oz can of black beans, drained

tomato sauce (makes 3 1/2 cups) 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons minced
• 1/8 –1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (see notes)
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes and juices 
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• a small handful of fresh basil leaves torn 

vegan cheesy sprinkle 

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup hemp seed
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, adjust to taste

16 ounces dry spaghetti, or linguini

Instructions for Spaghetti and Beetballs

Make the Beetballs

1. Heat oven to 335 degrees.
2. Toast raw walnuts for 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a pan over medium heat, saute’ onion and garlic for about 10 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized.  Let cool a few minutes.
4. In food processor, add cooled walnuts and basil leaves.  Gently pulse, until the texture resembles coarse sand.  Remove walnut mix from the processor and set aside.
5. In the same food processor add the cooled caramelized onion/garlic mixture, raw beet chunks, raw carrot chunks, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste, Worcestershire, nutritional yeast and psyllium, pulse until mixture is just finely chopped- allowing for a bit of texture.  
6.  Add black beans to the beet mix.  Pulse 3-4 times.  
7. Then add the walnuts.  Pulse a time or two.  Just enough to incorporate everything.  The mixture will be quite moist.  Refrigerating for 30 minutes can help firm them up but is not necessary.  
8. Scoop onto a baking tray.  Bake 40 minutes at 335.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan.  

Set pasta to boil, cook according to package directions. 

Make the Tomato Sauce

1. Add olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat.  Throw in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring until lightly toasted, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, smashing in with a fork to break them up.  Add oregano and salt.
3. Keep at a low simmer for 20 minutes, stirring and mashing the tomatoes every 4 minutes or so.  The sauce will thicken as it cooks.
4. Add fresh basil leaves a few minutes before removing from heat.  

Make the “Cheesy” Sprinkle

1. In food processor pulse together walnuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and salt.
2.  Toast in a skillet over medium-low heat.  
3. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes or until you start to smell the toasty aroma. This sprinkle will keep for a few weeks.  It freezes well.  

Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, top with a few beetballs and sprinkle with “cheesy sprinkle”. 

Recipe for Spaghetti and Beetballs

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