Pasta with BOSH! Balls — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Pasta with BOSH! Balls

This is one of those recipes we genuinely make on repeat. Herby, satisfying plant-based balls packed with kale, basil and parsley, served over pasta in a rich tomato sauce. It's the kind of dinner that feels proper and comforting, like a big Italian Sunday meal but totally vegan and ready in 45 minutes. Every time we serve this to someone who's a bit sceptical about plant-based food, they ask for seconds. Make it tonight and you'll see exactly why we love it so much.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Large frying pan
  • Large pot for boiling pasta
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Allow kale to cool completely after sautéing (Step 1)
  • Allow onion & herb mixture to cool completely (Step 2)
  • Allow BOSH! balls to cool after frying (Step 3)

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil - plus more for frying
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 garlic clove large
  • 10g fresh basil
  • 10g fresh parsley
  • 400g kale
  • ½ Juice of 1 lemon - zest and juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 slices of stale bread
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes
  • 100g kale
  • 150g wholewheat spaghetti
  • Pinch of salt
  • chilli flakes
  • 10g parsley
  • 10g magic dust (nutritional yeast)

Method

1

First, prepare the BOSH! ball ingredients

  • Peel and finely dice the onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Roughly chop the basil and parsley
  • Destalk and shred the kale
  • Add one tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and place over a medium heat
  • Add the kale and saute until tender, approximately 5 minutes
  • Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely
2

Next, make the BOSH! ball mix

  • Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil to a large frying pan and place over a medium heat
  • Add the onion, a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are translucent (approx 5-6 minutes)
  • Add the garlic, basil, parsley, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and cook for a further 30 seconds
  • Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool completely, mix with the kale
  • Grate over the stale bread, add the zest of the lemon, cut in half and squeeze in the juice
  • Mix all the ingredients together well with a spoon or spatula
3

Roll the mixture into balls

  • Roll the mixture into 12 small balls (slightly smaller than a ping pong ball) and roll them in plain flour
  • Warm olive oil in a frying pan, add the balls, 4 at a time and gently fry until golden on all sides
  • Set aside to cool
4

While the meatballs are cooling, make the sauce

  • Place a large pot of water on to boil, season well with salt
  • Peel and finely dice the onion, thinly slice the kale
  • Add the oil to a frying pan and place over a medium heat
  • Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent (approx 5-6 minutes)
  • Add the garlic and red chilli flakes and cook for a further minute
  • Add the plum tomatoes and bring up to a boil, stirring regularly
  • Turn the heat down and cook for approximately 10 minutes
  • Remove half of the sauce from the pan, place in a sealed container and store in the fridge to be served again later in the week
5

Cook the pasta and serve

  • Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for approximately 8 minutes until al dente
  • Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the starchy cooking water to loosen the sauce
  • Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and adjust the consistency with the reserved water as needed, add the half the Kale and cook for a few minutes until softened
  • Store the remaining kale and meatballs in a sealed container in the fridge, to be eaten later in the week
  • Serve the pasta immediately with a garnish of parsley and nutritional yeast

Tips & Variations

  • Make them ahead: The BOSH! balls can be made earlier in the day and kept in the fridge until you're ready to cook. They actually firm up even more which makes them easier to fry.
  • Go heavy on the herbs: We always add a generous handful of basil and parsley. Don't be shy with them, that's where a lot of the flavour comes from and they make the balls taste really fresh and vibrant.
  • Sauce shortcut: If you're in a rush, a good quality jarred tomato sauce works just fine here. We won't judge you at all, we've done it plenty of times ourselves.

Why This Works

The trick is getting the kale properly tender before it goes into the ball mix. If it's still a bit tough or wet, the balls won't hold together as well and the texture won't be as good. We also find that letting the mix rest for a few minutes before you shape them makes a real difference, it firms everything up and they hold their shape beautifully in the pan.