Neat Balls & Marinara Sauce

AuthorJen BookerDifficultyIntermediate

Yummy Neat balls and tomato pasta

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time30 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
 4 x 400g tins of plum or chopped tomatoes
 2 tsp. olive oil
 2 small onions, chopped
 8 medium garlic cloves, minced
 ¾ tsp. dried oregano
 ⅛ tsp. crushed red chilli pepper (I leave this out for the kids)
 Some sprigs of fresh basil - chopped
 ½ tsp. sugar
 salt, to taste
Ingredients for Neat Balls:
 700 ml vegetable stock
 ¾ cup uncooked Arborio rice
 1 lb. mushrooms (should make 2 cups when finely chopped)
 4 tsp. olive oil
 1 onion, diced
 1 vegan egg (no egg or flax egg is fine)
 1 cup dried bread crumbs
 ⅓ cup ground almonds / nutritional yeast mix (half nutritional yeast, half almonds)
 1 tsp. salt
 ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions for Tomato Sauce:
1

In a large bowl, blend the tomatoes with a blender or hand-blender.

2

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat.

3

Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened but not browned, 2-3 mins.

4

Add oregano, crushed red chilli pepper, and basil and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

5

Stir-in the crushed tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a simmer.

6

Add salt to taste and reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Directions for Neat Balls
7

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over high heat. Add rice, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir almost constantly during las 5 minutes of cooking.

8

Transfer to large bowl.

9

In food processor, pulse mushrooms in batches until finely chopped.

10

In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat.

11

Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2-3 mins.

12

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 3-5 mins. Add to bowl with rice; let cool.

13

Preheat oven to 200c. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

14

Add vegan egg, breadcrumbs, almond/nutritional yeast mix, salt and pepper to cooled rice mixture and mix well. Form mixture into about 24 oval-shaped nuggets, each about 2 by 1.5 inches.

15

Bake until nuggets are browned and firm, 25 - 30 mins, flipping half way through.

16

If you haven't already done so, boil your pasta while the balls are baking.

17

Put 3-5 balls on each bowl of pasta with sauce, serve hot.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
 4 x 400g tins of plum or chopped tomatoes
 2 tsp. olive oil
 2 small onions, chopped
 8 medium garlic cloves, minced
 ¾ tsp. dried oregano
 ⅛ tsp. crushed red chilli pepper (I leave this out for the kids)
 Some sprigs of fresh basil - chopped
 ½ tsp. sugar
 salt, to taste
Ingredients for Neat Balls:
 700 ml vegetable stock
 ¾ cup uncooked Arborio rice
 1 lb. mushrooms (should make 2 cups when finely chopped)
 4 tsp. olive oil
 1 onion, diced
 1 vegan egg (no egg or flax egg is fine)
 1 cup dried bread crumbs
 ⅓ cup ground almonds / nutritional yeast mix (half nutritional yeast, half almonds)
 1 tsp. salt
 ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

Directions for Tomato Sauce:
1

In a large bowl, blend the tomatoes with a blender or hand-blender.

2

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat.

3

Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened but not browned, 2-3 mins.

4

Add oregano, crushed red chilli pepper, and basil and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

5

Stir-in the crushed tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a simmer.

6

Add salt to taste and reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Directions for Neat Balls
7

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over high heat. Add rice, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir almost constantly during las 5 minutes of cooking.

8

Transfer to large bowl.

9

In food processor, pulse mushrooms in batches until finely chopped.

10

In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat.

11

Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2-3 mins.

12

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 3-5 mins. Add to bowl with rice; let cool.

13

Preheat oven to 200c. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

14

Add vegan egg, breadcrumbs, almond/nutritional yeast mix, salt and pepper to cooled rice mixture and mix well. Form mixture into about 24 oval-shaped nuggets, each about 2 by 1.5 inches.

15

Bake until nuggets are browned and firm, 25 - 30 mins, flipping half way through.

16

If you haven't already done so, boil your pasta while the balls are baking.

17

Put 3-5 balls on each bowl of pasta with sauce, serve hot.

Neat Balls & Marinara Sauce

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