Meatless Meatballs With Marinara Sauce

As a child, I remember making meatballs for put homemade delicious marinara sauce with spaghetti. It was so much fun back then! It tasted exactly like from an authentic Italian restaurant. Not much has changed since then. Apart from growing up a little bit, I still love meatballs with marinara sauce. I only make MEATLESS vegan meatballs now.

Why? Meatless meatballs are way tastier, crispier, and definitely much healthier for you! These balls are made of quinoa and cannellini or butter beans. Depends what you can find in your pantry or which beans you prefer!

If you like quinoa, you also might like to try this delicious Buddha Bowl With Quinoa.

If you like beans, you also might like to try this easy Black Bean Curry.

For a deeper taste of Italian cuisine, I incorporated some of my favourite herbs, such as basil or oregano. I used them dried but if you have your own herb garden, don’t be afraid to use fresh herbs! If you look for adding some more nutrients, I also used a little bit of nutritional yeast. It goes together very well!

To keep this recipe gluten-free, I used one of my most favourite gluten-free spaghetti. If you feel like trying something new, check out this amazing buckwheat gluten-free spaghetti. If you don’t like pasta too much, eat these meatless meatballs with rice!

Making this marinara sauce, you will need only a few minutes! It’s super easy to make and it tastes absolutely fantastic! It’s a total dream match with these meatballs! So say hello to the Italian taste in your kitchen!

Meatless Meatballs With Marinara Sauce Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serving: 4, making about 15 meatballs

Ingredients:

For meatballs:

2 cups quinoa tricolor

1 can butter (navy) or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp flaxseeds

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 tbsp warm water

1 tsp red pepper chili flakes (optional)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

For marinara sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tbsp dried basil or 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)

1/2 freshly cracked black pepper (or more to taste)

1 bag gluten-free spaghetti of your choice or 1 cups rice

Instructions:

1. Start with meatballs. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. Cook quinoa and let it cool down. Then put it in a food processor.
3. Make the flax egg: Mix together warm water and flaxseeds and set it aside.
4. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Sauteé for 2 minutes, then add herbs. Sauteé for another 1 minute. Then add it to the food processor.
5. Add your flax egg and all other remaining ingredients to the food processor. Pulse a few times until you get the structure which holds together. Don’t overdo it, you still want to see small pieces of beans in a mixture.
6. Lay a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray. With your wet hands, start making balls and place them onto the baking sheet. If you are worried that the meatballs can get burnt, spray the sheet with a baking oil or spread a little bit of vegetable oil. Then put meatballs onto the tray. Place the tray in a fridge for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, check the balls and if they feel firm, place them in the oven. Bake them for another 10-15 minutes. If you are unsure if the meatballs are ready, check with a toothpick and keep baking until the toothpick comes out clean.
8. Meanwhile, start making marinara sauce. In a saucepan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and sauteé for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, sea salt, and nutritional yeast, if using. Break the tomatoes in the pot. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt/pepper.
9. Using a hand mixer, mix the sauce straight in the pot to make it smoother. Again, don’t overdo it because you want your sauce to still have some structure. If the sauce seems to be too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
10. Cook your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or rice and serve it with the marinara sauce and your meatless meatballs on the top.
11. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @writtenbyvegan or use hashtag #writtenbyvegan or share it with your friends and family! You can also rate this recipe below!  🙂

Klara Walterova

Klara is a professional freelance writer for hire. She offers web content, blog posting, ghostwriting and copywriting. She writes for a healthy lifestyle, wellness and travel websites. She focuses on veganism and the vegan diet. When she's not writing, she develops new tasty vegan recipes, travels the world or plays with her cats. Please contact her for her online writing services on her website writtenbyvegan.com or visit her Instagram profile @writtenbyvegan.