INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
3 onions (caramelised – 1/3 for mince and 2/3 for sauce)
2 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tins of tomatoes
Handful of basil leaves (roughly chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Butter (vegan)
1 pack of Vivera mince meat (220g)
350g chestnut mushrooms (blitzed into a paste)
1 tsp miso
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
Sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
100g breadcrumbs
250g spaghetti
Method:
Finely chop the 3 onions (2 for the sauce and 1 for meatballs). Place them into a pan with some olive oil and the sugar. Cook over a medium heat until completely caramelised and then set aside 1/3 for the meatballs. Add the garlic into the pan with the remaining onions and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Once cooked, stir through the cold vegan butter. Set aside ready for the meatballs later on.
In a new pan, fry off the miso and thyme in some olive oil, cooking over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the blitzed mushrooms and soy sauce to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until some of the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, add the vivera mince meat, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, caramelised onions and some salt and pepper (not too much salt though as the miso and soy sauce are already quite salty). Mix until combined then shape into 45g balls. Fry off the meatballs in a pan with some olive oil until caramelised on all sides. Add to the tomato sauce.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente (roughly 8 minutes). Add the pasta into the sauce with a ladle of starchy pasta water. Mix together thoroughly then cook for a few more minutes. Serve with some fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!