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Recipes

Beanballs in Italian Sauce

  • Prep: 15 Minutes
  • Cook: 30 - 35 Minutes
  • Serves: 4

These beanballs in Italian sauce are *chefs kiss* and super easy to make. Comforting, healthy and packed full of good stuff. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Nutrition
Calories 285
Carbs 33.1g
Fat 7.2g
Protein 14.7g
Beanballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For the Beanballs

  • 2 tins cannellini beans, drained and
    rinsed (460g drained weight)
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and
    finely chopped
  • Handful fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 60g oatcakes or crackers blitz into a
    crumb (or substitute breadcrumbs)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the Sauce

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 800g passata
  • 300g mushrooms
  • 1 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
  2. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. You may need two trays so have a second ready in case.
  3. In a food processor or blender, combine the cannellini beans, fresh parsley and red peppers. Pulse gradually until slightly chopped and still a little chunky, be careful NOT to completely puree.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, egg, oatcakes, salt and pepper, combine thoroughly.
  5. To make the bean balls have a small dish of warm water ready to dip your hands in, this makes the mixture easier to handle.
  6. Take about 2 tablespoon of the bean mixture and roll into balls using your hands, place on the prepared baking tray, spacing evenly.
  7. Bake in the oven until the beanballs start to turn golden and crispy, around 20–25 minutes. You can gently flip over halfway through cooking to bake the underside but it’s not essential.
  8. Whilst the beanballs are cooking prepare the sauce.
  9. Warm the olive oil in a pan on a medium heat and add the onion and garlic.
  10. Once the onion has softened and browned, add the passata, mushrooms, sweet paprika, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.
  11. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, for around 10–15 minutes.
  12. Once the beanballs are cooked removed from the tray and add to the sauce, stir to coat in the sauce and cook for a further 3-4 minutes before serving.