Tempeh Meatballs & Spaghetti
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 16 oz tempeh
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Several dashes fresh black pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow onion very finely chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil for pan frying
For the rest:
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 4 cups marinara storebought or homemade
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Boil a pot of salted water for spaghetti.
- Meanwhile, crumble tempeh in small pieces into a 2 quart pot. Submerge in a cup of water, a tablespoon soy sauce and one tablespoon olive oil. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar so that steam can escape, for 15 minutes. Most of the water should be absorbed. If there is excess water, drain and place tempeh in a mixing bowl and place in the freezer to cool It should take 10 minutes or so, give it a stir after 5 minutes to make it cool evenly. In the meantime, prepare your onions.
- Once cool, add garlic, ketchup, mustard, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper then mix well. Mix in the onions. Now add the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix until it holds together very well. If it seems loose, add extra breadcrumbs by the tablespoon until you can form very tight, compact balls. Scoop up about golfball sized amounts and roll between your hands to form the balls.
- Your water should be boiling at this point, so cook the spaghetti now. When it’s ready, drain and toss with marinara in the pot you boiled it in. Keep covered and hot until ready to eat.
- Preheat a large non-stick pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Add meatballs one by one, rolling them in the pan to coat in oil. If your pan is not big enough to fit all of the balls comfortably, then do them in two batches. Pan fry for about 10 minutes, rolling them frequently, to cook evenly.
- Serve spaghetti in big bowls, with three or four meatballs each. Top with extra red pepper flakes or fresh black pepper and slurp it up!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
