Spaghetti and Meatballs is one of the most popular comfort foods, and it's such an easy and filling weeknight meal paired with a salad or roasted vegetables. We've made a spaghetti and meatless meatballs recipe that is just as comforting and easy, minus the ground beef!
This recipe is dedicated to all the hard-core meat-eaters out there. We know you'll love our vegan meatballs! Think of it as an invitation to get out of your comfort zone and away from your preconceived notion of vegan food.
Table of contents
Why You'll Love This Meatless Meatball Recipe
- Incredibly easy to make. The meatball ingredients are simply mixed in a food processor and then baked in muffin tins for thirty minutes while you get the pasta and side dishes ready!
- Crowd Favorite. Everyone loves a good spaghetti and meatballs, is perfect for a weeknight family dinner or when you're entertaining. We aren't pretending our vegan version tastes like meat. But we can guarantee it tastes amazing!
- Texture. I don't know what it is about spaghetti, but cooked al dente there is nothing that can beat the texture. It's so satisfying. Add to that our delicious meatballs and the texture of this dish is seriously on point.
Ingredients for Vegan Spaghetti Recipe
- Firm tofu. Provides a hearty meaty texture as well as lots of protein and iron.
- Cannellini beans. Adds even more protein, fiber, and texture.
- Panko bread crumbs. Helps to hold everything together and makes a lighter, less dense meatball.
- Onion.
- Fresh parsley.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Spices. garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
- Marinara sauce. Use your favorite jarred variety or make your own.
- Vegan parmesan cheese. If you don't need to keep this recipe vegan, you can use regular grated parmesan.
- Spaghetti. Use your favorite. Or try whole wheat or bean-based pasta for added nutrition.
How to Make Meatless Meatballs
- Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Step 2: Roll about 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on a prepared baking sheet.
- Step 3: Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Step 4: Combine the meatballs with the sauce on the stove to heat through.
Substitutions
- Add a dash of red pepper flakes to your marina sauce to give it a little heat.
- Sauté vegetables like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, grated carrots, and garlic, and add those to your marinara sauce with a can of crushed tomatoes to take your vegan spaghetti sauce over the top.
- Try adding a little freshly minced garlic, fresh basil, or oregano to your marinara sauce. If you do this make sure you simmer it for a little while on the stovetop to help the flavors meld. Stir occasionally.
- Swap out the spaghetti for gluten-free pasta or bean-based pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs is a hearty and comforting meal on it's own. We like to round ours out with a nice crisp salad and a warm green bean dish.
If you want a different flavor profile, try one of our other savory sauces:
Storage, Reheating and Make Ahead Tips
- The meatballs are best stored separately from the sauce. If you plan to meal prep, freeze, or have leftover meatless meatballs you can cook them completely, and then wait to heat with sauce until ready to serve.
- Vegan meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then transfer to an airtight container. Allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stove along with the sauce.
- Leftovers can also be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
More Meatless Meatball Recipes
- Vegan Meatballs with Savory Pumpkin Sauce
- Vegan Meatballs in Mango Coconut Sauce
- Spinach Vegan Meatballs
- Cauliflower Quinoa Meatballs
- Quinoa Lentil Meatballs
- Sweet Potato Veggie Meatballs
- Eggplant Meatballs with Pomegranate Molasses
- Italian Eggplant Meatballs
More Delicious Vegan Pasta Recipes
Print
Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 22
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Need a new idea for Meatless Dinner Idea? Give these Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs a try. They are deliciously satisfying and possibly the best vegan meatballs you will ever taste!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 16 ounces of firm tofu, drained
- 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp dry basil
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
- 1- 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce
- Grated parmesan cheese or its vegan alternative.
- 1 pound box of spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor process all the ingredients until smooth.
- Refrigerate the meatball mixture for 20-30 minutes.
- Oil your hands, take 1 ½ tablespoon of the meatless meatball mixture, and shape them into balls.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Pour the sauce into a wide deep pan, add the meatballs, and heat until everything is warm.
- Cook spaghetti following the instructions on the box
- These meatless meatballs can also be served with rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, couscous, etc.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup cooked spaghetti with 3 meatballs
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 1060 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.9 g
- Fiber: 6.9 g
- Protein: 15.5 g
- Cholesterol: 1.8 mg
eileen
Love all your recipes.
My question is could you give me a recipe for italian seasoning bread crumbs using oats. I want to make for the grandkids and sneak in the oats.
Thanks
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you very much. We don't have an Italian seasoning bread crumbs using oats and we wouldn't want to give you a recipe that we have not tested. Our suggestion would be to grind some oats in the food processor and add them to a homemade Italian seasoning bread crumb recipe. We hope that helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.