Pastaball Marinara
Honestly, this one came about because we couldn't stop thinking about meatball marinara but wanted something 100% plant-based that felt just as satisfying and comforting. The result is these brilliant pastaballs, rolled up and dropped into a rich, garlicky red wine tomato sauce that you'll want to eat straight from the pan. You get this incredible combination of soft, herby balls with a deeply savoury sauce clinging to every bit of pasta. It's the kind of dinner that makes you feel like you've really cooked something special, and it only takes 40 minutes. Make this tonight, seriously.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Food processor
- Large baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Large frying pan with lid
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 x 400g can of black beans
- 50g sun-dried tomatoes
- 50ml BBQ sauce
- olive oil for frying
- 1 large onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½ tbsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 75g tomato purée
- 900g tomatoes
- 75ml water
- 15g fresh basil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 260ml red wine
- olive oil for frying
- 250g wholewheat pasta
- basil leaves
Method
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!
Tips & Variations
- Get the balls golden first: Don't skip browning the pastaballs before they go in the sauce. That little bit of colour on the outside makes a huge difference to the texture and flavour. Trust us on this one.
- Make it saucier: If you like things extra saucy, just add a splash more water or a second tin of tomatoes. The sauce is so good you'll want loads of it anyway.
- Rest before serving: Give everything a couple of minutes to sit together in the pan off the heat before you dish up. It lets the pastaballs soak up a bit of that sauce and the whole thing just comes together beautifully.
Why This Works
The trick here is the red wine in the sauce. It sounds fancy but it just adds this depth and slight richness that makes the whole thing taste like it's been simmering for hours. We also find that finely chopping the cherry tomatoes rather than blending them keeps a bit of texture in there, which makes it feel really hearty and proper.