I have never eaten Spaghetti & Meatballs – I know! Very anti–American, no? Especially because I’m born and raised on Staten Island, NY, it’s even more shocking. But I have never eaten beef or pork, so trying meatballs was never an option! So, I had to invite my resident Italian expert Alessandra Ciuffo – chef, content creator and one of the most vibrant personalities in food TV today – to help me Make Meatballs Vegan! We use all veggie-based ingredients to create the juiciest, meatiest, meatballs! Don’t believe me? Well, then you should tune in! Because you are going to be saying grazie mille per queste polpette!

Grateful to have Mill supporting our series, to helping me keep these episodes (and my home!) food waste free. With no smell, easy clean-up and sleek design, having Mill as my kitchen sidekick is a no brainer! Discover MILL – your at-home food recycler to help keep food out of landfills.

Beetballs:

• 1 red beet – roasted, peeled, squeezed of moisture
• 1 golden beet – roasted, peeled, squeezed of moisture
• 1 head of garlic – roasted until tender
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegan parm shavings
• heavy pinch of kosher salt
• heavy pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• handful of fresh flat leaf parsley – chopped
• handful of fresh basil – chopped
• 1 cup stale bread cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup unsweetened plant mylk
• 3 tbsp plant-based egg substitute

1. Combine all ingredients together, drain any excess moisture and roll into 8-10 beetballs. Place on a baking sheet/plate and set in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

2. Coat a medium skillet with olive oil and set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the beetballs on each sides for about 5 minutes each until golden brown and firm. Set aside.

Spicy Red Sauce:

• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion – diced
• 5 (on or about) cloves of garlic – minced
• 3-5 calabrian chilies (or to taste) – minced
• heavy pinch of kosher salt
• heavy pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 12-oz can of whole peeled san marzano tomatoes – crushed by hand
• 1 hefty tsp of tomato paste
• fresh basil

1. In a large pot or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in onions, garlic and calabrian chilies. Add salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes until onions begin to sweat. Add in the tomato paste and combine in and cook for 2 minutes. Add in crushed tomatoes, sugar and whole basil sprig. reduce the heat, stir and allow to simmer. Taste and adjust for salt if necessary. Once the sauce is fragrant and has been simmering for about 10 minutes and the tomatoes are really broken down, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.

Combine:

Once the beetballs are cooked and sauce is ready, add the beetballs to the sauce and allow to simmer for 5 minutes before serving with pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and more vegan parm.