Easy Cheesy 'Meatball' Pasta
Looking for food to make you feel good? Hey, we feel you. And we want to help. Presenting our world-famous Easy Cheesy 'Meatball' Pasta. A dish so delicious, so herby and so downright tomato-y, that it can't fail to perk you right up. Use your favourite plant-based meatballs (and be sure to defrost them if they're frozen) or if you've got a little bit more time on your hands, make your own! We believe in you. This is an easy vegan meal for beginners learning to cook, it really is a simple veggie recipe.
Serves
Ingredients
For the pasta sauce
<item-todo-done>1 tsp chilli flakes to taste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 sprig of rosemary<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 sprigs fresh thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5 sun-dried tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g cherry tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200ml water<item-todo-done>
For everything else
<item-todo-done>12 plant-based meatballs<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g plant-based cheese<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g wholewheat penne pasta<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>15g basil leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Kettle (boiled) | Large saucepan | Large deep frying pan with lid
First, prepare the ingredients
- Peel and finely dice the onions
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Finely dice the rosemary and thyme
- Finely slice the sun dried tomatoes
- Halve, trim, core and dice the pepper into 1cm chunks
- Finely dice the cherry tomatoes
- Coarsely grate the dairy-free cheese
Now, make your sauce
- Warm the oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat
- Add the onions and a small pinch of salt to the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes
- Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme and chilli flakes to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the sun dried tomatoes and red pepper to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes until the pepper is tender
- Add the tomato puree to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and stir for 3 minutes until soft
- Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan, pour the water into the empty tin, pour the water into the pan, stir so the sauce is well mixed and let simmer for 3-4 minutes
Now, add the vegan meat
- Put the plant based meatballs into the pan making sure they’re evenly spaced out across the top of the sauce
- Put the lid on the pan, turn the heat right down and leave to simmer for 12-15 minutes
- Give the pan a gentle shake every couple of minutes to make sure the sauce doesn’t catch
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package instructions
- Take the pasta out of the pan 2 minutes before it’s completely cooked through
- Drain the pasta, pour it into the pan and gently fold it into the sauce, ensuring the pasta is completely covered and the meatballs remain completely intact
- Evenly sprinkle the grated dairy-free cheese over the sauce
- Sprinkle the basil leaves over the cheese, put the lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is completely melted
- Take the lid off the pan, spoon the pasta into 4 bowls and serve immediately