These Vegan Meatballs Will Transform Your Pasta Night Into a Healthy Dinner

Spaghetti night without meatballs is like water without the lemon, everything tastes better with a boost of flavor. That’s why The Beet curates a selection of delicious recipes to turn your go-to meals into a tasty plant-based masterpiece, just like this one.

Today's Recipe of the Day is vegan meatballs made from scratch so you can enjoy the traditional Italian dish on your plant-based diet or serve them on meatless Monday. There's no reason why you should give up the foods you love when you want to eat healthier, help the planet, and save the animals, just using these easy alternatives like textured vegetable protein, vegan beef-flavored Boullion cube, fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices, and an egg replacement.

The next time you host a pasta night, surprise your guest with these meatballs without telling them they’re vegan. Watch their reactions as they dive fork-first into a plant-based alternative that tastes just like the real thing. If you want to be the host of the year, serve the dish with a side of dairy-free parmesan and Mangia!

"These little TVP nuggets are so chewy and addicting, you just might want to make a double batch. Don’t be tempted to add extra water to the TVP; it needs to be a little dry for this recipe."

Spaghetti with “Meatballs”

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2⁄3 cup minced TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
• 1⁄2 vegan beef-flavored bouillon cube
• 2⁄3 cup hot water
• Vegan egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs
• 1 small onion, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti, prepared according to package directions

Instructions

1. Place TVP in a medium bowl. In a glass measuring cup, dissolve the bouillon cube in hot water, then pour over TVP. Set aside 6–7 minutes until rehydrated. Gently squeeze out any excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add egg replacer, onion, ketchup, garlic powder, basil, parsley, sage, and salt. Stir until well mixed.
3. Stir in bread crumbs. Add flour a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well until the mixture is sticky and thick. You may need a little more or less than 2⁄3 cup flour.
4. Using lightly floured hands, shape the mixture into 11⁄2"–2" balls.
5. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Pan-fry “meatballs,” rolling them around in the pan to maintain the shape, 6–8 minutes until golden brown on all sides.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and add marinara sauce. Simmer 5–7 minutes until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce and “meatballs” overcooked spaghetti.

Per Serving:

Calories: 510

Fat: 7g

Sodium: 675mg

Carbohydrates: 86g

Fiber: 8g

Sugar: 9g

Protein: 21g

Excerpted from The Everything Easy Vegan Cookbook by Adams Media. Copyright © 2021 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photographs by James Stefiuk. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.