Рецепт Cannellini Bean Vegetarian “Meatballs” with Tomato Sauce Recipe
Before I met my husband, I wasn’t much of a bean eater. It wasn’t that they didn’t appeal to me, but rather that I didn’t grow up eating a lot of Mexican food or other cuisines that might include the protein- and fiber-packed morsels. Everything changed when my husband ordered some black bean soup at a restaurant just a few blocks away from our New York City apartment. This wasn’t just any black bean soup – nope, this one was garnished with crispy chorizo sausage. I was a goner. You couldn’t stop me – cannellini beans in salads, kidney beans in chili, black beans in veggie burgers. You name it, I cooked it. As a result, my kids loved beans right from the get-go and we incorporate the healthy legumes into many of our meals.
When I heard that this round of Kitchen Play’s SideCar series was to feature Bush’s Beans in a meal that would satisfy the whole family, I knew I had this one in the bag. The hardest part was choosing which type of beans I would use. I started thinking of comfort foods, dishes that my family likes to eat as the thermostat drops and the days grow shorter. Spaghetti and meatballs popped to mind immediately and, as we are trying to work more meatless meals into our weekly menu, it seemed fitting to make a vegetarian version.
When I think of oregano, garlic and parsley, I turn right to cannellini beans. In this recipe, I pureed the cannellini beans with roasted red peppers and then combined them with all of the regular meatballs ingredients, such as breadcrumbs and an egg. Baked in the oven and then simmered in tomato sauce, these bean “meatballs” are as healthy as they are tasty.
Now, don’t expect the “meatballs” to have the same texture as versions made with ground beef or turkey. These ones have a soft texture, with a golden brown coating. They are substantial and hearty, and made me fall in love with the versatility of beans all over again.
The recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.
NOTE: Take care not to overprocess the “meatballs”. This could cause them to fall apart later.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.
The amount of breadcrumbs required can change depending on the climate (dry vs. humid). If you find that the “meatballs” are not holding together firmly as your shaping the first few, add more breadcrumbs, then reshape.
Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form “meatballs” by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the “meatballs” on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, heat your favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add “meatballs” and stir to coat.
Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over spaghetti.
- Other family-friendly cannellini bean recipes:
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Vegetarian Mushroom & Cannellini Bean Ragout
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Mediterranean Chicken, Bean & Pasta Soup
- Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Cannellini Bean & Sausage Stew with Tomatoes & Basil
- Andrea Meyers’ White Chili with Turkey & Cannellini Beans
- Jersey Bites’ Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Sage, Rosemary & Cannellini Beans
- Cannellini Bean Vegetarian “Meatballs” with Tomato Sauce
- From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
- Ingredients
- 1 ½ cans (15 oz. each) Bush’s Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 roasted red bell pepper (2 halves), roughly chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 egg
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs (see note)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce (your favorite kind)
- Parmesan cheese for grating
- Cooked spaghetti
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.
Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form “meatballs” by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the “meatballs” on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, heat you favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add “meatballs” and stir to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve over spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
The amount of breadcrumbs required can change depending on the climate (dry vs. humid). If you find that the "meatballs" are not holding together firmly as your shaping the first few, add more breadcrumbs, then reshape.
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I linked this up to TidyMom’s weekly I’m Lovin’ It post.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans. All opinions are my own.
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