A gluten-free, plant-based twist on spaghetti and meatballs! This Grain-Free Pasta and BEANBalls meal will please all Italian food lovers whether they’re vegan or not.
Where are my pasta lover’s at?!
Whether you’re Italian or not, pasta is a beloved food for almost anyone. I mean, what’s not to love?! Carb-filled, fun-shaped, bite-sized pieces of food that can be topped or filled with any sauce or ingredients you love. Even a simple bowl of pasta with little butter or olive oil and salt is pretty darn delicious!
I think pasta was my first “favorite” food as a kid. My mom and I used to go to my Grandma’s house every Thursday to have her homemade sauce, meatballs, and sausage….recipes that have been in my family since my relatives first came over from Italy in the early 1900s. (Fun fact: my grandma STILL makes sauce twice a week…she has it for dinner every Thursday and Sunday to this day.)
I love my grandma’s traditional red sauce, but I really don’t discriminate. Give me pesto, clam sauce, Bolognese, or vodka sauce any day. I also am a fan of mixing up the pasta varieties I make. Aside from all the different shapes and sizes of traditional pasta, nowadays there are dozens of different types of pasta on the market.
Pasta made from…
Konjac/Yam Flour
Black Beans
Split Peas
Lentils
Chickpeas
Corn
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Amaranth
Almond Flour
Whole wheat
Spelt
Tapioca
Buckwheat
And the list goes on! Tons of different types of pasta to suit any dietary need. But what about the meatballs?!
They have MEAT right in the name, so obviously they’re a no go for vegans and vegetarians. Plus they usually have cheese and breadcrumbs in them, so gluten-free and paleo people are out too.
Luckily, I have a solution that even the staunchest of Italian foods lovers will approve of!
BEANballs.
All the flavor and hearty texture of traditional meatballs, but made from beans other plant-powered ingredients!
Check out all this vegan goodness!
Grain-Free Pasta and BEANballs
A gluten-free, plant-based twist on spaghetti and meatballs! This Grain-Free Pasta and BEANBalls meal will please all Italian food lovers whether they’re vegan or not.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
Ingredients
For meatballs:
2 cans of dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup grain-free breadcrumbs
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp parsley
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
~ ½ cup vegan parmesan (see below)
For vegan parm:
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/3 cup raw cashews
For pasta:
8oz gluten-free, grain-free pasta (I used Banza chickpea rotini)
1 ½ cups of your favorite vegan, gluten-free red sauce (or use my Tomato Avocado Sauce!)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add vegan parm plus all other beanball ingredients into a food processor and process until well combined. Transfer beanball mixture into a large bowl and roll 1-1.5 inch balls with your hands until all of the mixture is used up (about 10-12 beanballs). Place balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes (turning the meatballs over halfway through cooking).
Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. In a small sauce pan, heat sauce over low-heat until heated through.
Drain pasta once cooked, top with sauce and 3-4 beanballs. Serve with extra vegan parm if desired!
A totally plant-based meal high in fiber and protein. Delicious, fresh, and perfect for an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a healthy Italian dinner on the table for much less money than traditional spaghetti and meaty meatballs would cost.
Stay tuned for some other healthified Italian meals coming later this week! ?
Are you a pasta lover?
What’s your favorite type of pasta?
Meatballs of BEANballs?
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10 responses to “Grain-Free Pasta and BEANballs [vegan + gluten-free]”
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Yummy!!! I am working on a vegan meatball recipe today as a matter of fact! Your photos are gorgeous !!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Rachel!! Compliments on my photography always make my day. Hope you try these!!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a great week and hope to see you at next week’s party.
Thanks Helen!! Hope you try this!! 🙂
This is a delicious bowl of goodness! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and you have a great week!
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Thanks Helen! Perfect for pasta lovers!
Great recipe idea! Bean balls are a first for me, but they look and sound great. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! We hope you will join us again next week!
Kim
★★★★★
Thanks Kim!! I hope you try these and LOVE them!
this recipe looks so good! Can’t wait to try and make some of your beanballs
Thanks Natasha!! This is such a delicious healthy meal. I hope you enjoy it!