Spaghetti and Beanballs Recipe

Spaghetti and Beanballs Recipe [serves 3-4]

Ingredients:

Spaghetti:

• 4 C marinara sauce
• ½ pound whole wheat spaghetti (I used durum wheat pasta)

Beanballs:

• 1 can (20 ounce) about 3 cups red kidney beans/rajma, rinsed and drained (I used 1.5 cup raw kidney beans, 6-7 hours soaked and pressure cooked till soft)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• ¼ tsp grated lemon zest (I omitted)
• ½ C plain breadcrumbs
• ¼ C vital wheat gluten
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried thyme

Preparation:

If you’re baking your beanballs, preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

Beanball mixture:

1. Mash finely the kidney beans in a big mixing bowl with potato masher. You don’t want them to be completely smooth; you should still be able to recognize that they are kidney beans.

2. Add the soya sauce, tomato paste, 2 tbsp olive oil, grated garlic, lemon zest (if using), wheat gluten, and the herbs and use a fork to mix everything together. With your hands to knead the mixture about a minute and you’ll have your mixture ready like soft pliable dough yet firm.

3. Roll into walnut-size balls. I had about 19 balls. Don’t make them too big; smaller makes for the best texture.

4. If you prefer shallow fry your beanballs: Preheat a large over medium heat. Add couple of tbsp of oil into the pan, and then put beanballs. Don’t overcrowd them. You can fry them in two batches. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, tossing and cook all sides, until they have nice crunchy texture and golden color. Keep an eye not to burn your beanballs. Add ⅓ cup of marinara sauce to the meatballs. Coat each ball with sauce, add some more if you prefer. Remove from the heat and keep covered until needed.

5. If you prefer baking your beanballs: Grease a baking sheet, with olive oil. Place the balls on the sheet and drizzle some more oil over them, to coat. Bake about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom then flip them and bake another 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and pour ⅓ cup marinara sauce onto them, flipping them around to coat. Bake for an additional 5 minutes more.

6. Cook your spaghetti as per package instructions. Drain and keep aside.

To assemble:

Take your spaghetti in big bowl and pour your remaining marinara sauce over the pasta and mix. Use a pasta spoon to transfer the spaghetti to plates, then top with 2-3 beanballs and their sauce.

inspired from Veganomicon