Vegetarian meatballs with marinara sauce recipe

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Vegetarian meatballs with marinara sauce recipe

Packed with Italian herbs and spices, these vegetarian meatballs will transport you to the Med. Serve the meat-free alternative, made from mushrooms and puy lentils, with a rich marinara sauce, packed with tomatoes, garlic and roasted red peppers.

Recipe from The Doctor’s Kitchen by Dr Rupy Aujla (Harper Thorsons, £14.99, out now).

Ingredients

For the 'meatballs'
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 200 g fresh porcini mushrooms (or wild or chestnut), finely chopped
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only), finely chopped
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 500 g cooked puy lentils
  • 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 300 g wholegrain (or normal) fettucine
  • 2 carrots, peeled lengthways into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 7.1 oz fresh porcini mushrooms (or wild or chestnut), finely chopped
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only), finely chopped
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 17.6 oz cooked puy lentils
  • 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 10.6 oz wholegrain (or normal) fettucine
  • 2 carrots, peeled lengthways into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 7.1 oz fresh porcini mushrooms (or wild or chestnut), finely chopped
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only), finely chopped
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 17.6 oz cooked puy lentils
  • 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 10.6 oz wholegrain (or normal) fettucine
  • 2 carrots, peeled lengthways into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
For the marinara sauce
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only)
  • 2 oregano sprigs (leaves only)
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 500 g passata
  • 100 g roasted red peppers (from a jar or roast your own)
  • 1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 15 g flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 handful basil leaves, torn
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only)
  • 2 oregano sprigs (leaves only)
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 17.6 oz passata
  • 3.5 oz roasted red peppers (from a jar or roast your own)
  • 1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.5 oz flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 handful basil leaves, torn
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 rosemary sprigs (leaves only)
  • 2 oregano sprigs (leaves only)
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 17.6 oz passata
  • 3.5 oz roasted red peppers (from a jar or roast your own)
  • 1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.5 oz flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 handful basil leaves, torn

Details

  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Recipe Type: Pasta
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation Time: 25 mins
  • Cooking Time: 40 mins
  • Serves: 4

Step-by-step

  1. First, make the marinara sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the rosemary, oregano and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the garlic is lightly browned.
  2. Put the passata in a blender or food processor with the roasted red peppers and blend until smooth.
  3. Add the mixture to the saucepan with the Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 5–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley (if using) and torn basil leaves.
  4. Next, make the 'meatballs'. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F/gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. 
  5. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes and chilli flakes and sauté for 2–3 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened.
  6. Stir in the lentils, then transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor with the flaxseed and blitz for just long enough to combine everything and until all the ingredients have a uniform texture.
  7. Form the mixture into 16 balls.  Put the balls on the lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until crisp on the outside and hot through. 
  8. Meanwhile, warm through the marinara sauce and cook the fettucine in a pan of boiling water for 6 minutes (or according to the packet instructions), throwing in the carrot strips for the last minute of cooking time to soften them.  Drain the fettucine and carrots and serve with the baked meatless meatballs and marinara sauce.

This recipe from The Doctor’s Kitchen by Dr Rupy Aujla (Harper Thorsons, £14.99, out now).

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