Spaghetti & Beetballs

Beetball Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp freshly ground flax
• Avocado or olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 3 cups beets, shredded
• 1 cup black beans
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme (dried will suffice if you can’t get fresh)
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• Sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns

Spaghetti Ingredients:

• 500g spaghetti 
• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium sized zucchini, halved and sliced
• 3 medium sized carrots, chopped
• 500ml tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp oregano (fresh is best but dried will do)
• 1 Tbsp thyme (same as above)
• Parmesan cheese (regular or vegan) or nutritional yeast for topping

Directions:

1. Prep the Pasta- Fill a large pot of pasta ⅔ of the way full and bring to a boil. Add about a Tbsp of salt. When it’s boiling add the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil and cook according to instructions. If they finish earlier than the rest of the ingredients drizzle with a little more olive oil and set aside.
2. Making the Beetballs- As this is happening add 4 tablespoons of warm water to the flax seeds. Set aside.
3. Heat a large frying pan to medium on the stove. When it’s hot, drizzle in just enough oil to coat the pan. Throw the garlic and onion in there and saute until translucent (about 4-5 minutes). 
4. Add the beets and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are tender. Transfer this mix to a large bowl and add the flax mix, beans, thyme, nutritional yeast, bread crumbs, and salt & pepper to your taste buds preferences.
5. Shaping the Beetballs- Either with a potato masher or with your hands (after letting it cool) squish all the ingredients together. You can stop squishing it when it holds its form. Shape them all into golf balls. Heat a large pan to medium on the stove. Once it’s hot drizzle in some oil and plop as many of the beetballs that will fit on there. They might be a bit difficult to flip so give them ample space. When they are browned and a bit crispy on one side give them a flip (around 8 minutes). Then brown the other side. Repeat until all the beetballs are cooked.
6. Making the Sauce- While the beetballs are cooking heat up another pan to medium. Add a drizzle of oil to coat the pan. Then add the onions and garlic. Once they are translucent, add the carrots and zucchini and saute until they are tender. Then add the oregano, thyme, tomato sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. 
7. Dishing Up- Add all the ingredients into your bowls and/or plates. Top with parmesan/nutritional yeast and/or any other toppings that suit your fancy.

Enjoying- This is the easy part. Grab a bowl of pasta, invite a few loved ones (whether in person or via phone or video chat), and enjoy the comfort that only carbs and good friends can give you.