One look at the title and picture, and you can almost hear that catchy Italian melody—dun-dun-dun-da-da 🎶 🇮🇹. Nothing says Italian-American tradition like a big plate of Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner. This recipe gives you all the classic flavors, minus the meat. So, boil the water, heat up your Sunday sauce, and let’s make some Vegetarian Meatballs and Spaghetti!
As I’ve said in other posts, the hardest part about being a vegetarian as an Italian is how many staple recipes incorporate meat. But with that challenge came experimentation—playing with different ingredients and spices to get as close as possible to the real thing. Obviously, no matter what you do with vegetables, they’ll never be meat. They lack the fat and texture that only meat provides. But what they do bring is a powerhouse of nutrition—lentils for plant-based protein, brown rice for whole grains, and fresh veggies for vitamins and fiber.
If you’re looking for something that tastes amazing and gives you that nostalgic, familiar flavor, this recipe delivers. Plus, if your Sunday Tomato Sauce is good, let’s be honest—just about anything tastes great with it. 🤣
Ingredients
These vegetarian meatballs paired with spaghetti and your favorite sauce, are a hearty, plant-based take on an Italian classic!
- Brown Rice
- Lentils
- Vegetables
- Spices
See recipe card for quantities.
Storage
For best storage and freshness:
- Meatballs: Store them separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Spaghetti & Sauce: Keep the cooked spaghetti and sauce in a separate container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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Pairing
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📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Meatballs and Spaghetti
Ingredients
Vegetarian Meatballs
- 1 cup French Green Lentils, cooked
- 1½ cups Brown Rice, cooked
- 2 tbsps Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 2 Stalks of Celery, chopped
- 1 Medium Carrot, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- Splash Sherry Vinegar
- ¼ cup Milk
- Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
- 1 Egg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil *see notes
Spaghetti
- 6 cups Tomato Sauce
- 1 lb Spaghetti
Instructions
Vegetarian Meatballs
Give yourself time to prep and make the Vegetarian Meatballs before boiling the water and preparing the Spaghetti.
- Cook the lentils and brown rice ahead of time and allow them to cool.
- Chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Remove the bay leaf. Add salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir to coat the vegetables evenly. Add a splash of sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan.
- Turn off the heat and let the vegetables cool down before they are added to the rest of the ingredients.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup of seasoned breadcrumbs with ½ cup of milk. Stir and set aside.
- Once the vegetables, brown rice, and lentils have cooled, add them to a food processor along with the hydrated breadcrumbs. Pulse until smooth and well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the Pecorino Romano, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Once you're satisfied with the flavor, mix in the egg. Gradually add more breadcrumbs until the mixture comes together and is less sticky.
- Preheat the Oven to 400 °F
- Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Lightly coat your hands with olive oil for easier rolling. Using a rounded tablespoon, scoop out the vegetarian meatball mixture and roll into balls. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
- Place the vegetarian meatballs in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the vegetarian meatballs from the oven and let them cool before proceeding to the next step.
Spaghetti
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions or until it reaches your preferred texture.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, heat up the tomato sauce.
- In a separate small or medium sauté pan, add some heated sauce, leaving the majority of the sauce in the other pot to warm for the spaghetti. Coat the cooked vegetarian meatballs in the sauce, cover, and let them warm through before serving over the spaghetti. Heat for just a couple minutes and remove from the heat. Leave covered until ready to serve.
- When the spaghetti is finished cooking, drain it well using a colander.
- Add the spaghetti back to the stockpot you boiled it in, and add several scoops of tomato sauce to the spaghetti. Stir well to coat the spaghetti evenly.
- To plate add a scoop of spaghetti, some vegetarian meatballs on top, some extra sauce, and a pinch of pecorino romano cheese.
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