White bean vegetarian meatballs

Apr 20 2023

Enjoy these bean-based meatballs made with cannellini or butter beans. They provide a big protein boost without the need for meat

Ingredients

200
g Swiss chard
400
g can white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained and 2 tbsp liquid reserved
4
garlic cloves, crushed
30
g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
1
tsp dried mixed herbs
1
egg, beaten
30
g breadcrumbs
2
tbsp olive oil
300
g wholemeal spaghetti
1
small onion, finely chopped
2
tbsp tomato purée
250
g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

Step 1
Tear the leaves from the chard stems and finely chop both, keeping them separate. Heat a dry, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the leaves for a few minutes until wilted, then transfer to a bowl.
Step 2
Put the beans, half the garlic, the cheese, herbs, egg and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Season well and mash together. The beans should be broken up, but not smooth. Pour in 1 tbsp of the reserved bean liquid to bind the mix, adding another 1 tbsp if needed. Using damp hands, roll into 12 ping-pong-sized balls.
Step 3
Heat half the oil in the pan used in step 1, and fry the ‘meatballs’ over a medium heat until brown, carefully turning using tongs so they don’t break, about 10 mins. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Stir in the chard stems, onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until softened, then mix in the remaining garlic. Fry for 1 min until fragrant, then add the tomato purée. Let the purée caramelise for 3-4 mins, then stir in the cherry tomatoes and 250ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 mins, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened. Season well, add the browned balls to the sauce and serve with the pasta.