Secret recipe of Meatless Meatballs
Yesterday, I had a few friends over for dinner and decided to put my go-to spaghetti and meatballs recipe to the test. The twist? I swapped out my usual blend of beef, pork belly, and veal for a vegan meat substitute. The egg pasta was made fresh, and the tomato sauce simmered for 12 hours until it was deep and rich. For the meatballs, I stuck to my usual mix of fennel, parsley, chili, oregano, Pecorino Romano, and garlic. The only change was the protein.
To my surprise, nobody noticed the difference. In fact, the only feedback I got was about how tender the meatballs were this time. I think the key is not skimping on the seasoning and making sure to brown the meatballs well before finishing them in the sauce. The vegan substitute held up better than I expected and soaked up all the flavors.
It’s interesting how much of our food experience is about expectation. I still have my doubts about meat substitutes, but after this, I’m starting to think some dishes don’t really need the real thing. Not every recipe will work, but for something like this, it’s worth a shot.
#MeatlessMonday #VeganCooking #SpaghettiAndMeatballs #PlantBased #FoodExperiment #Food #Cooking
