Pastaball Marinara
This inside-out veggie pasta dish is insanely delicious! We were coming up with revolutionary burger recipes and, like Einstein creating relativity, realised we could make meatballs out of pasta! The tomato sauce is one of the lushest, thickets pasta sauces we have ever made - it's truly scrumptious. If you prefer less sugar, substitute vegan pesto for the BBQ sauce.
Serves
Ingredients
For the pastaballs
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp chilli powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of black beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g sun-dried tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50ml BBQ sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> olive oil for frying<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 large onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the marinara sauce
<item-todo-done>1 ½ tbsp dried oregano<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 bay leaf<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>75g tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>900g tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>75ml water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>15g fresh basil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp sugar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 large onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>260ml red wine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> olive oil for frying<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done>250g wholewheat pasta<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> basil leaves<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Food processor l 2 Large frying pans l Saucepan l Large Bowl
First make the sauce
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic
- Heat some oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions for about 7 minutes, until softened
- Add the garlic and cook for a further minute
- Stir in the red wine and cook for a further 5 minutes until the wine is bubbling and starting to thicken
- Add the oregano and bay leaf, stir, then add the tomato puree and water and stir again
- Finely chop the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pan.
- Tear the basil leaves into the pan and stir to combine
- Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and leave to simmer for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally (the longer you leave it, the richer the sauce)
- Uncover and simmer for a further 10 minute
- When it's ready, the sauce should be rich, luscious, and thick, then season to taste
Whilst the sauce is simmering
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions
- Then rinse it under cold water to bring it to room temperature
Now make your pastaballs
- Blitz the cooked pasta, black beans, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli powder and BBQ sauce in a food processor
- When it's a thick paste, pour into a large bowl
- Chop the onion and garlic
- Fry the onion in a frying pan for around 15 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and stir
- When cooked, add the onion and garlic to the bowl and mix everything together
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Form and cook the pastaballs
- Using wet hands, roll the mixture into 3cm balls
- Fry the balls in a pan for about 3-5 minutes, turning regularly until browned all over
- Transfer them to a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes
Time to serve
- Put a few large spoonfuls of marinara sauce into serving bowls and top each with 4 pasta balls
- Garnish with a few basil leaves and serve!