Vegetarian Meatballs with Pesto Pasta

These vegetarian meatballs with pesto pasta are a quick and easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love! These flavourful “meatballs” are made with fibre-rich, heart-healthy dark red kidney beans! Made with pantry staples, you can make this dinner in a pinch!

Blogger Partner: Katherine of Love In My Oven

Katherine from Love In My Oven LOVES baking and cooking with real, wholesome ingredients, with a focus on healthier options for the whole family. She believes in sharing recipes that anyone can make and enjoy, even with little experience in the kitchen! Her favourite type of meal to make is a quick 30-minute meal, and she also enjoys creating simple, 3-ingredient recipes that range from desserts to dinners!

Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Yield:
3-4 servings

Ingredients

1 can (540 mL / 19 fl oz) Canadian dark red kidney beans

1/4 white onion, diced

1 egg

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

8 oz pasta

1 cup pesto, homemade or jarred

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, for topping

Freshly cracked pepper, for serving

‍

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Open the can of Canadian dark red kidney beans and empty the contents into a colander. Rinse the beans thoroughly under cold running water, then leave to sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  2. To the bowl of a food processor, or a blender with a pulse function, add the rinsed Canadian dark red kidney beans, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, and tomato paste. Pulse the ingredients a few times until everything is combined, but there are still a few chunks of bean remaining. The texture should be almost like cookie dough.
  3. Using a large cookie scoop or just a spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture into your hands and roll gently into a ball. Place the “meatball” on the parchment lined sheet, spacing them a few inches apart.
  4. Place the tray of meatballs into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning them halfway through.
  5. While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Lower the heat and stir the pasta, cooking it to al dente as per the package directions.
  6. Drain the pasta, reserving a bit of the pasta water. Add the pesto to the cooked pasta, adding a bit of pasta water if the noodles are too sticky.
  7. Plate the pesto pasta, adding a few cooked meatballs on top of each plate, followed by a sprinkle of pepper and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition

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