..and all the Swedish girls fell for Italian boys

12 Nov ..and all the Swedish girls fell for Italian boys

By nature opposites attract. Sub-atomic particles, magnets, silk and leather (both man-made, yes) Italian spaghetti and Swedish meatballs, you and I.

I have been lusting over Swedish meatballs on food blogs as I am stereotypically obsessed with everything scandi, and now that it’s getting colder I also crave hot bowls of pasta covered in rich tomato sauce.

—-  Let’s combine both and veganize it as well —-

This is the gastronomical version of how all the Swedish girls fell for Italian boys.

For the Vegan Swedish Meatballs

1 cup cooked lentils

1 boiled potato

½ cup breadcrumbs (plus more to cover)

2 cup finely chopped, sautéed onion

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Salt & black pepper

——–

Pre-heat the oven at a medium-high temperature.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Add all the ingredients in a food processor or blender (I used a hand blender and it worked just fine). Mix well, season to taste. Shape them into balls with your hands and roll them into more breadcrumbs.  Place on the lined baking pan, and bake them until golden brown.

In the meantime prepare the pasta and the tomato sauce.

Keep the pasta al dente to feel the Italian vibes.

Tomato sauce Ingredients

1 red onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup red wine

2 cups tomato puree

(0r 3 cups fresh ripe, minced tomatoes when in season)

½ tsp sugar

1-2 bay leaves

½ tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

———————–

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion. Add the garlic and cook through until soft and golden brown.

Add the wine and allow to simmer before adding the tomato puree. Season with all the herbs and spices, reduce the heat to low-medium and allow to simmer until it’s reduced to a rich thick sauce.

Poor over the pasta and meatballs and serve warm, along with a glass of red wine or a bottle of stout.

Until the next one,

Chelf