Spaghetti and V-Balls

  I have been a vegetarian for many years now, and I rarely crave meat.  I’ll admit that the occasional whiff of barbeque can make me hungry, but the smell is really better than the taste anyway, so I don’t find it hard to resist.  One major exception was when I was pregnant with our third child.  For some reason, my constant craving was for a good beef ragu or spaghetti and meatballs.  It may have had something to do with all the Sopranos episodes that we were watching (naturally, I was drawn to the food) or maybe it was a comfort food craving for the sauce that my mother used to make.  I tried a few times to make tofu “meat” balls, but didn’t come up with a recipe that made flavorful balls that held their shape.  Time passed, Chloe was born, and my cravings subsided. 

Then my friend Laura told me that her children were enjoying meatballs of the traditional meat variety. (Laura has her own fantastic website about great places to go, eat, and shop in New York  and has kindly offered to share her recipe here, so stay tuned for her guest post).  A few days later, I saw the cover of the January issue of Gourmet, which featured a mouthwatering bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.  That double whammy led me to develop this recipe for spaghetti and vegetarian non-meat balls, or as Oscar dubbed them, V-balls.  They have a robust, hearty flavor, and the cheeses help them hold their shape.  Even for meat eaters, these are a delicious treat. 

This is not a super quick dish to prepare, but if you keep several pots going at once, it is not too time consuming.  It makes a wonderful Sunday dinner.  Alternatively, you could easily prepare the meatballs in advance.  Store them without the sauce, and when you are ready to eat them, heat them in the oven for 15-20 minutes (while the pasta water boils) before adding them to the sauce.  However you do it, it is well worth it.  This recipe is generous, so depending on how many V-balls you eat with your pasta, you should have some leftover for V-ball sandwiches.  Buon appetito!

Spaghetti and V-Balls

Serves 6
30 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

For the V-balls:
1 pound silken (soft) tofu
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
2/3 cup parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2/3 cup chopped parsley

Canola oil for frying

For the tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3-4 garlic cloves
3 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, chopped or mashed

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti

Spoon the tofu into a strainer or colander and let it drain while you prepare the other ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the tofu with the breadcrumbs, add the milk, and mix.  Mix in the remaining V-ball ingredients.

Meanwhile, begin the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until they are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes along with the juice from one of the cans. Put the sauce aside to simmer while you prepare the V-balls.

Pour enough canola oil in a deep skillet so that it is 1 to 2 inches deep. Heat the oil until a small bit of the V-ball mixture dropped in the oil fizzles. While the oil is heating, shape the V-ball mixture into golf ball sized balls. The mixture should be stiff and hold together well, but if they do not stick well, add a few more tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Prepare a large plate with newspapers topped with a couple of paper towels. When the oil is hot, fry the V-balls in batches, turning them frequently so that they turn a golden brown. Drain them on the paper towels.

When the V-balls have all been fried, gently place them into the sauce pot while you boil the pasta.  Don't leave them in the sauce for too long because if they absorb too much sauce, they will lose their shape. Before serving, scoop out the V-balls with a slotted spoon. Toss the remaining sauce with the pasta and top with the V-balls.

NOTE:  If you prefer a healthier recipe, bake the V-balls in a 350 degree oven until they turn lightly brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, before mixing them in with the sauce. This will save the time of frying and reduce the fat in the recipe, but you will lose some of the rich flavor that comes with the frying. 

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Comments

[rosana]

i'm totally going to try the v-ball and the meatballs as well. we love our pasta over here!

[Kenann]

Right after reading the post above the v-balls recipe, I wished there was a veggie version and there it was! can't wait to try it! yeah, there is something about watching the Godfather that makes me crave pasta and garlic....

[Margy]

Rosana, let us know how the v-balls compare to the meat version!

Kenann, just thinking about garlic and pasta is making me hungry -- the power of suggestion. . . Let me know how the v-balls turn out for you.

Have a good week!