Serves 8 to 10
Total time: 1 hour || Active time: 1 hour 15 minutes (Maybe longer the first time you make it)
These vegan spaghettios will heal your inner child. Or feed your actual child. It’s the ultimate spaghettios copycat recipe with little rings of pasta swimming in a sweet, cheesy tomato sauce and mini lentil meatballs that are chewy, savory, and completely addictive. It is can-to-table cooking without the can. This recipe has been on PPK since 2011 and it has a whole origin story. Read on, or hit jump to recipe if you just need these vegan spaghettios in your life right now.
The Vegan Spaghettios Backstory
My palate has a great memory. If it’s something like my mom’s birthday or paying rent I’m guaranteed to forget, but a slice of pizza I had during the Clinton administration will linger forever. And so it is with Spaghetti-os and our sordid history. Children, cover your eyes, this recipe will reveal quite a few things:
As a 14 year old goth in the age before cellphones, my friends and I would do that thing of staying up all night being idiots, hanging out on the beach or at the park or whatever (I swear it was mostly innocent.) Since we told our moms we were sleeping at each other’s houses, we couldn’t really go home until the sun came up. So we’d go the corner store and pop a couple of Spaghetti-O cans for breakfast, thanks to that easy pull-off lid. We’d pretty much sit on the street, black eyeliner streaming down our faces, ripped fishnets ripping even more, getting Spaghetti-o sauce all over our Salvation Army velvet dresses while we waited for the sun to rise. And, seriously, for shame, those Spaghetti-Os were good.
Sort of mushy rings of pasta swimming in a sweet, cheesy tomato sauce. And don’t forget the meatballs! Chewy orbs that made you want to keep biting into them, even though you didn’t exactly know why, it could have been magic or MSG. I had two basic strategies for extending their little meatball lives — slicing them in half or saving them for the end. You totally won if your last bite was a meatball.
Well, sometimes my palate hits me with a strange craving, and I don’t know if Sisters Of Mercy popped up on VH1 classics or what, but I had a nagging for vegan Spaghetti-os. And that’s how this spaghettio copycat recipe was born.
Vegan Spaghettios: Behind The Recipe
The first order of business was finding O-shaped pasta, which brought me to the Wikipedia list of pastas and eventually to the internet where I purchased three bags of Anellini. I think there’s a lot more pasta variety on US supermarket shelves now, so hopefully you can find them at your supermarket or a well stocked specialty store.
For the meatballs, I chose lentil meatballs. And because I wanted mushy, but not TOO mushy, I added a little vital wheat gluten. To make them addictive, some seasoned breadcrumbs and, since it’s like catnip for vegans, a touch of nutritional yeast.
The lentils ended up being the perfect choice for the chewy texture I wanted and their naturally meaty quality made for excellent meatballs. I really think kids of all ages will dig this spaghettios copycat. What kid won’t want to eat something called Spaghetti-Nos?
And I know nobody likes a bragger, but I’m pretty sure these vegan spaghettios taste better than their inspiration. Maybe I didn’t run outside and sit on the sidewalk to eat them, but I did wear a lot of black eyeshadow that evening. Coincidence?
The Cheesy Tomato Sauce
This is what makes this spaghettios copycat recipe go above and beyond. Brown sugar caramelizes with the onions for that signature sweetness, and soaked cashews blended in give it a velvety, cheesy texture. Nutritional yeast adds the savory depth. A little garlic, a little oregano. Mwah. Chef-Boyardee’s kiss. It comes together in under 30 minutes and tastes like the stuff from the can won a Michelin star.
Use crushed tomatoes with basil if you can find them, they give the sauce another dimension of sweetness. If you can only find plain crushed tomatoes, add a pinch of dried basil.
If you start cooking the sauce first, then the meatballs while the sauce simmers, everything is done within an hour.
The Lentil Meatballs
Green or brown lentils are what you want here, cooked until very tender. Red lentils are too soft and won’t hold together, french lentils are too firm. A 15-oz can of lentils works absolutely perfectly, so grab a can for convenience.
A little vital wheat gluten gives these vegan lentil meatballs their chew, seasoned breadcrumbs add texture and flavor, and nutritional yeast, once again, adds a cheesy, parmesan backdrop. They get pan-fried first for a browned exterior and then finished in the oven so they hold up when tossed in the sauce.
Store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs are ideal here. Whole Foods brand has a vegan one, and Edward & Sons is vegan. If you can’t find seasoned, no biggie, add a pinch each of basil, oregano, and thyme to plain breadcrumbs. Panko works if that’s what you have. Just pulse them in the food processor into fine crumbs first.
This recipe does make a lot of mini-meatballs, 32 to be exact, so half the meatballs if you just don’t have time for that. The rolling does take a bit of time and you need to brown them in batches.
Ok, now, make a big batch, put on some black eyeliner, eat with family or friends, and scoop them into a little can to feel the full effect.
VEGAN SPAGHETTIOS FAQ
Can I use a different pasta in this vegan spaghettios copycat recipe? For sure. If you can’t find them, small shells, wagon wheels, or any small pasta works too. Several people in the comments have used alphabet pasta and that’s a great idea.
Can I make the meatballs ahead? Oh, for sure. Make and bake the vegan lentil meatballs ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add them to the sauce when ready to serve.
Can I use a different bean? Yeah. People in the comments had success with pinto beans. I, myself, have not tried it, but it makes sense.
How did I end up here? Probably searching for vegan spaghettios, spaghettios copycat recipe, or vegan lentil meatballs. These vegan spaghettios have been a PPK staple since 2011 and they show up at every dinner table that needs a little nostalgia.
More Vegan Meatball Recipes To Try
Spaghetti-Nos With Mini Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Cheesy Tomato Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Fresh black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 24 oz cans crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1/4 cup cashews soaked in water for at least 1 hour, drained
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
For the Mini Lentil Meatballs:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small onion peeled
- 1 1/2 cups cooked green or brown lentils rinsed and drained (a 15 oz can works perfectly)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup seasoned store-bought breadcrumbs
For everything else:
- 1 lb anellini pasta or any small pasta
- Olive oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Boil a big pot of salted water for the pasta, meanwhile prepare everything else.
Make the sauce:
- Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Mix in the black pepper, oregano, salt, and brown sugar and cook for about 2 minutes, until the sugar is melted. Add the crushed tomatoes, cashews, and nutritional yeast, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Let the sauce cool slightly, then purée in batches in a blender until smooth, adding each batch back to the pot. Lift the lid carefully between pulses to let steam escape. Once smooth, keep warm over low heat.
Make the mini meatballs:
- Fit your food processor with the metal S blade. Add the garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the onion and pulse until minced — no big pieces or they will affect the texture of the meatball. Transfer the onion and garlic to a mixing bowl with a spatula.
- Add the lentils, nutritional yeast, vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, tomato paste, olive oil, and water to the food processor. Pulse to combine, then purée until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add this mixture to the bowl with the onion and garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well with your hands for about 2 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Roll the mixture into cherry-sized balls — you should get about 32. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add a thin layer of olive oil. Pan fry in two batches, tilting the pan so the meatballs roll around and brown evenly, no more than 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a baking pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so they cook evenly.
Boil pasta and assemble:
- Boil the pasta while the meatballs bake. Drain and add to the sauce. When the meatballs are ready, add them to the pot as well. If the sauce has cooled, warm everything together over low heat for a few minutes. Toss carefully with a wooden spoon, taking care not to break the meatballs, and serve.
I just got the batches of meat balls out of the oven and I am almost sure they won’t make it to the sauce…the meat balls are sooooo yummy I can’t (and my hubby can’t) help munching them!
I halved the recipe and wish I hadn’t!!! It’s perfect.
[…] Solution: Isa’s “Spaghetti-Nos with Mini Lentil Meatballs” […]
if you can find them (or order them), Heinz Spaghetti Hoops are vegan and once i added a tbsp or so of ny to it they were a dead on match for o’s. they’re british and i found them in the ‘world’ section of a meijers grocery store in southeast michigan. of course you’d still have to make your own meatballs to add and they probably arent as healthy as this recipe but they were fantastic and i was really excited to eat spaghetti o’s again!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heinz-Spaghetti-Hoops-Tomato-Sauce/dp/B004TEVM1Y
don’t know whether anyone has already said this, but i made these tonight and found it helpful to dust the mini meatballs with a bit of flour. the first batch stuck to the pan a bit, but the flour helped. just saying!
i should also add, though I KNOW this has already been said, the recipe is amazing.
This is so good! I made it last night and could not stop eating it.
made these are they were amazing! will def use the meatball recipe again for other meals. thank you!
As usual Isa, you are my dairy-free goddess! We’re not strictly vegan (though I wouldn’t call us carnivores, either) but your recipes are always my go-to for my dairy-allergic 7 year-old. It started with the cupcakes (because it would suck to be known as the kid that brought in the crappy birthday cupcakes), then the cookies (I made 25 dozen as wedding favors – yes, 25 dozen in July). Now he can finally taste spaghetti-o’s! The food that sustained all children of working mothers back in our day.
I had a hard time having them make it from the oven to the pasta. So good. Also, do you think they freeze well? I think they would be fantastic defrosted in homemade pasta sauce…
Testing out this bad boy tonight! Can’t wait, I am always tempted to buy the ones at Whole Foods for my daughter (noodle obsessed) but the damn CHEESE in there has to be the worst quality cheese in the universe.
[…] really feeling all that creative that day, other then wanting to make it.The sauce comes from the Spaghetti-Nos and the scrambled meat comes from the tempeh sausage recipe I […]
Seriously. Dude. This makes me wish I celebrated 4/20 so that I’d have an excuse to eat the whole freaking pot. The excuse will have to be HOLY COW THESE ARE INCREDIBLE NOMNOM.
I made this for some friends and it went over amazing – will be bringing some to work for a potluck next week.
Also, though a bit intensive with the number of pans and pots, it was a very easy recipe to put together, and nearly impossible to screw up!
My meatballs came out a bit too mushy but I cooked them for about 15 minutes longer and they were fine. Reading the recipe back, I forgot to knead the mixture for two minutes so the gluten probably didn’t have much chance to do its thang. They tasted gooooood, though, and the sauce is possibly one of my new favourite pasta sauces. 🙂
Thanks, Isa!
Hang on, vegans don’t eat meat, dairy, etc., but they do eat babies?!?
Apparantly, that’s what “amanda” did just before posting here on March 29, 2011 at 4:25 pm. “…the little baby that is in my belly….”
just made it… the “meatballs” are fantastic!!!! i’d like to add a bit more heat to the sauce, but overall this was great!!!!:)
HOLY MOLY! I could easily hate you for your sheer genius-ness in the kitchen but I can’t since every recipe that I have made from your books is AMAZING. I decided this would be my Easter dinner (all my family members are carnivores) I almost ate the whole pot after taking a small taste. My niece and nephew were hopping up and down with full satisfied tummies. Thank you doesn’t seem enough for some of us “new” vegans. I bow to your wow!
Wow, thank you!
I made this today (for our Easter dinner!) and it was great! I couldn’t get the cashews to break down with my immersion blender so I pureed the sauce in my Vita-Mix – it came out perfectly smooth and (bonus!) it took on that strange orangey-red color of the real thing! I have a mean anal-retentive streak so I portioned the meatballs with my small Pampered Chef scoop (about 1T) – I ended up with 33 perfect pieces. This is a make-again recipe, although I wouldn’t tackle it on a weeknight – too many dishes. Thank you for this wonderful throw-back to our long-ago childhoods!
Great! I’m so happy this has been an Easter hit!
Simply AMAZING!!! I can’t even remember the last time I had a can of Spaghetti-O’s, but all kinds of great childhood memories flooded my tastebuds when we made these! They are awesome, awesome, awesome and taste very authentic! I’ve only been vegan for a few months now and I am having a great time working my way through your recipes! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I’ve been craving vegan spaghetti os forever! I have never had the meatballs, though, so I might just make plain ol spaghetti-nos 🙂 Thanks!!!
Firstly: this recipe is delicious in the extreme, and thank you! I absolutely loved making and eating it. I used to eat (and love) spaghetti-o’s as a kid (they’re pretty much the mainstay of children to two working parents). Eating them again was equal parts tasty and nostalgic.
However, I did have a bit of a problem with the lentil meatballs: mine pretty much fell apart into crumbles during the frying stage. Instead of being able to roll around, they just stuck squarely to the pan and efforts to shift them tore them apart. Even once I got them in the baking pan they stuck straight to it and I had to manually turn them. Since no one else is having this problem, I’m sure it’s my frying technique that is to blame or an ingredient ratio that I needed to adjust – does anyone have any suggestions? I’ll definitely try the flour dusting recommended by an earlier poster next time, but is it possible to stick these straight in the oven?
By the way, this didn’t affect the seriously delicious taste, and myself + company were in love with the crumbles. I definitely plan on using that recipe for all sorts of other applications.
I wouldn’t just stick them in the oven. I mean, it would be okay, but they really benefit from a quick pan fry. Can I ask what material your spatula and pan were made out of?
I also had problems with the meatballs in my test batch. I did a test batch because the mixture seemed kind of wet. I cooked my own lentils and found them to be pretty wet when I was pureeing them. I added more bread crumbs and more vital wheat gluten until the consistency felt a lot like real meat would feel. If you haven’t felt real meat in a while sorry…my husband is a die hard carnivore. anyhow…they fried up beautifully, crusty on the outside from browning but still as soft as I remember the original meatballs from the can. and yes…my brother and I ate a lot of that stuff growing up. Thanks Isa.
I made these today for my dining coop and they were awesome. My friend who really likes meat and who was disappointed that we weren’t having real meatballs went back for thirds. Thanks!
The pan was stainless steel and I used a metal turner – cast iron instead, maybe?
Yes, stainless steel really doesn’t like panfrying moist things like these meatballs.
As a vegetarian, one thing I miss more than anything is my mom’s meatballs! I know my mom’s meatballs & Spaghetti-Os aren’t a good comparison but any mention of the word “meatballs” gets me hungry! Can’t wait to try this!
Your entry had me laughing! We must be close in age : )
[…] Spaghetti-Nos […]
So good! I’m on batch 4 of the lentil balls. This time I used panko breadcrumbs and they were super – and moister too.
I found it easier to pulse the lentils alone in my sadly underpowered 2 cup chopper and then add in the rest of the ingredients.
These are by far the best vegan meatballs i have ever made!!! I made the meatballs alone for a pasta dish I was doing. i made them into the standard size meatball, I got about 10 meatballs. Not only did they taste good and stay firm but they look exactly like the meatballs I used to eat as a kid. This is going to be my new go-to meatball recipe. I have been searching for this type of recipe for a few years now. Thanks Isa for all that you do!
As a couple of folks above mentioned, I may not have kneaded the lentil mix for long enough – my meatballs were not as solid as I had hoped. However, I had always preferred the meat sauce to sauce with meatballs so we improvised, smashed our lentil balls and enjoyed a very thick sauce. Lovely.
I just made the lentil balls since I already had some home made sauce I wanted to use. I thought these were the best meatball substitute I’ve tried so far. The only thing I think I’ll do a little differently next time is add at least another garlic clove (love garlic!) and maybe a bit of dried oregano. The seasoned crumbs I used were lacking a bit of flavor. All in all though, I can’t wait to make these again.
As a new vegan I just discovered your blog and absolutely love it! Former 14 year old goth! YES!
[…] to bring over yummy vegan food for K to try on for himself. Enter PPK’s most excellent Spaghetti Nos–a little time-consuming, lots of pots, pans, blenders, etc…but so worth it. K loved […]
I also had the problems with the too mushy meatballs, i solved it by adding simply a handful of UNCOOKEd yellow lentils, and a tiny bit of flour. It turned out extremely nice, as the raw lentils will moisten during the baking time. AND they mke the meatballs somewhat more “al dente” 🙂
Awesome! Thanks..
Although this didn’t taste like Spaghetti-O’s to me, it was pretty good. I think the sauce was good/fine before the cashews. I too ended up with meatballs that fried just fine, but then turned to crumbles (after oven) mixed in. I did find that my meatballs stuck at first b/c the pan was too hot. Husband said it tastes more like Beefaroni.
Of course this taste amazing, but my meatballs were kind of ‘soft’ … not really firm. I used dried lentil that I cooked. What should I do next time to have firmer meatballs??
[…] don’t think about them. Well that changed three or four months ago when Isa from ThePPK made Vegan Spaghetti-O’s that peaked my interest. I never thought about making spaghettio’s at home before. In fact […]
I had a moment of pure bliss last night – I was grumpy, wanted dinner, and remembered I had a container of these in the freezer. YUM!
I’m going to make a big batch of the sauce and freeze in portions for future de-grumpifying.
So very good. Thank you Isa, for another great recipe. Glad I didn’t half it, I would be sad if we didn’t have plenty of leftovers. I used whole wheat tiny elbow pasta whole foods brand. Perfect!
[…] P.S. The Chickpea Cutlets from today’s lunch post were great along side some whole wheat pasta and the delicious sauce from Post Punk Kitchen’s Spaghetti Nos. […]
[…] researching ways to get more lentils into my bellah for next week. How about this? This? THIS. Sweet Christmas, […]
Will definitely make again, with some tweaking- the meatballs survived the pan fry stage, emerged beautifully intact, firm and delicious after the baking. I threw them into the sauce for 5 minutes to warm through and they completely disintegrated-not into a bolognese like texture, more like the paste we used in first grade for our art projects. The taste was amazing, tho. Will also soak cashews for more than 1 hour, as this wasn’t enough to enable a thoroughly smooth blending.
If preschoolers were allowed to vote for president, I think you’d have a couple of write-in votes after today! My 4 and 5 year old sons wanted me to make this recipe for lunch today, minus the meatballs (5 year old is grossed out by even fake meats). They LOVED them and I love that you made it possible for them to have junk food without the junk!
Is there anyway to make this gluten-free – the lentil meatballs that is? Is there something I could replace the vita wheat gluten flour with? I really want to make this! THANKS!
Oh my goodness! This pasta and these lentil balls are everything to me! They are soooo good and remind me of my youth. Everything worked out perfectly. I used my vitamix for all of the chopping and pureeing because I don’t have a food processor. The lentil balls held together perfectly. I’m in awe! These were so easy!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I just ordered your cookbook.
Well that is a glowing review if ever there was one! Thank you!!!
[…] as well. Toss carefully with a wooden spoon, being careful not to break the meatballs. Serve! Post Punk KitchenThe source of this recipe I love this […]
This is so good! I was asked (begged) to put this in “regular rotation”. The lentil meatballs are incredible. Had to stop myself from popping them into my mouth like some kind of savoury snack. We had this with crispy romaine leaves tossed with the AFR Green Goddess dressing and it was a fabulous combination. Mmmmmm.
[…] meatballs with spaghetti from here at post punk kitchen #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; […]
[…] and Chef Boyardee’s Ravioli so when I saw a Facebook post from The PPK with a recipe for Spaghetti Nos with Mini Lentil Meatballs I knew I had to try them. I waited for a Friday evening so I could plan on some extra time in the […]