The Best Vegan Spaghetti Meatballs Recipes

THE BEST VEGAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• If you haven't prepared your quinoa yet, do so now (make sure it's cooked and cooled completely before use). 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~1 cup cooked. *Prep/cook time does not include preparing quinoa.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add rinsed, dried black beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch (see beans in food processor photo). Remove beans from the oven and then increase oven heat to 375 degrees F (190C).
• Heat a large (oven-safe) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add water (or oil), garlic, and shallot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat (and reserve pan for later use).
• Add black beans to a food processor along with garlic, shallot, sea salt, oregano, red pepper flake, and fennel (optional) and pulse into a loose meal (DON'T overmix). Then add cooked/cooled quinoa, vegan parmesan cheese, tomato paste, fresh basil or parsley, and Worcestershire (optional). Pulse to combine until a textured dough forms (you're not looking for a purée, but it should be semi-tacky).
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness/depth of flavor, red pepper flake for heat, herbs for earthiness, or Worcestershire (optional) for more depth of flavor. If it's too tacky or wet, add more vegan parmesan cheese and pulse to combine (we added a bit more).
• Scoop out heaping 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts (using this scoop or a Tablespoon) and gently form into small balls using your hands. Add to a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Heat an oven-safe metal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil to prevent sticking, then add the meatballs. Sauté for a few minutes, gently turning the meatballs to get a slight crust on either side. Then transfer to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch.
• These meatballs are delicious as is, or you can add some marinara to the pan and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes (or until bubbling / hot) to infuse more flavor.
• Serve with marinara and additional vegan parmesan cheese (optional)! These are also delicious atop any pasta. Leftover meatballs keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven until warmed through.

VEGAN SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Boil 1/2 cup water. Place the oats in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak 5 minutes until the water is fully absorbed.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry the red potatoes, leaving the skin on. Chop them into quarters and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the texture is evenly chopped and has a consistency like rice (scrape once and pulse again to ensure there are no large chunks). Transfer the potatoes to a clean, dry towel and squeeze out the moisture by wringing the towel a few times (using a dark towel is best because the red skin can color the towel). Then measure out 1 1/2 cups of the chopped potatoes (discard any remaining).
• Peel the garlic. To the food processor, add the cashews and garlic and process until finely chopped. Add the potatoes, soaked oats, oregano, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse a few times until fully combined.
• Form the potato mixture into about 1-inch wide balls by squeezing the dough together, then rolling it lightly, making about 28 in all. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When ready to fry, cover the entire bottom of a large frying pan with a layer olive oil and heat at just over medium heat. Place the balls into the oil; it should lightly bubble when the balls meet the oil (if not, adjust the heat). Fry the balls in two batches, turning each one frequently until all sides are golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Take care of the hot oil, as it may spit. Remove the balls to a plate lined with paper towels. (Alternatively, you can bake the balls in a 400F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then flip and brush with olive oil; bake another 25 minutes until browned and crisp.)
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Boil the pasta until al dente, following the package instructions. If the pasta finishes before the meatballs, place it back into the pan with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Serve the meatballs with the pasta covered in high-quality marinara sauce (your favorite brand, or homemade if desired), and top with Vegan Parmesan.

THE BEST VEGAN SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Grease a baking dish with olive oil and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the sausage and beef. Use a fork to mash the vegan meat together. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients and stir to combine.
• Form the mixture into 10 meatballs and place in the greased baking dish. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
• While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sauce over them. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
• Combine the cream cheese and half & half in a bowl and stir to combine. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the cream cheese mixture over them. Top with fresh basil and bake in the oven for 10 more minutes.
• While the meatballs are finishing, prepare the spaghetti according to the package instructions.
• To serve, plate the spaghetti and top with meatballs, sauce and more fresh basil.

VEGAN SPAGHETTI AND (BEYOND) MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Dice tomatoes and return them to the can with their juice.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to the hot oil and saute, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well blended. Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Let simmer while preparing meatballs.
• Combine beef substitute with bread crumbs, parsley, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl; mix until ingredients are well combined. Roll the mixture into twelve 1 1/2-inch balls.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to the pan and saute, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned and a bit crisp, about 10 minutes total. Reduce heat to low.
• Pour simmering tomato sauce over the meatballs and mix. Simmer sauce with meatballs for an additional 10 minutes. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.