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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian & Vegan Pasta Recipes

    Spaghetti with Mushroom Quinoa Vegetarian Meatballs

    Published: May 10, 2014 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 22, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Spaghetti and Meatballs gets a fun vegetarian make-over with plump delicious mushrooms and protein-packed quinoa. These vegetarian meatballs are delicious served over spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce.

    vegetarian meatballs with spaghetti on a white plate

    This post was sponsored by Australian Mushroom Growers Association. All opinions are my own.

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    Sophia Loren once said "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." The same can equally be said of our parents.

    It's Mother's Day, a time to reflect and recognise our mothers and the role they have had in our lives.

    They bring us into this world. They soothe our tears when we cry and are there for us when we need them.

    One of the things I recall eating regularly when I was growing up was Spaghetti Bolognese.

    It was something my family loved, but although I wasn't officially a vegetarian back then, I just never really liked the taste of meat.

    I loved the spaghetti, but often ate mine with just a bit of butter!

    While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!

    Spaghetti and Meatballs gets a vegetarian make over with plump delicious mushroom and quinoa vegetarian meatballs in a rich tomato sauce | Click for the recipe

    So today I have recreated the traditional spaghetti and meatballs - but this version is entirely plant-based.

    It's a vegetarian spaghetti recipe that even die-hard carnivores would have a hard time passing up.

    I know, because my die hard carnivore husband Troy hovered around the kitchen while I was cooking my Spaghetti and Vegetarian Meatballs waiting for it to be ready. He even sneakily "quality tested" some before I'd cooked them in sauce! 😉

    These vegetarian "meatballs" are essentially my Mushroom and Quinoa Burgers formed into "meatballs" instead of patties.

    These meatless meatballs are then browned in a frying pan before they finish cooking in a warm bath of tomato sauce.

    If you want a completely vegan version of this recipe, simply leave the eggs out of the base and brown the mixture as you would the meatballs. (Or check out this vegan mushroom bolognese recipe!)

    Spaghetti and Meatballs gets a vegetarian make over with plump delicious mushroom and quinoa vegetarian meatballs in a rich tomato sauce | Click for the recipe

    And if you love these vegetarian meatballs, be sure to check out these other amazing pasta recipes:

    • One-Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta
    • Thai Green Curry Noodles
    • Tortellini with White Wine and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

    While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!

    Recipe

    Spaghetti and Vegetarian Meatballs

    Spaghetti and Meatballs gets a fun vegetarian make-over with plump delicious mushrooms and protein-packed quinoa. These vegetarian meatballs are delicious served over spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Keyword: Delicious Everyday, how to make vegetarian meatballs, meatless meatballs, Quinoa Meatballs, Spaghetti recipe, vegetarian meatballs recipe
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 870kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 5 oz quinoa
    • 1 ½ cups water
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt
    • 1 onion peeled and diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 7 oz mushrooms button, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
    • 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
    • 1 cup breadcrumbs
    • 2 eggs beaten
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 onion finely diced
    • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    • 1 carrot peeled and diced
    • 1 tbsp thyme leaves roughly chopped
    • 1 tbsp rosemary leaves roughly chopped
    • ½ cup red wine
    • 28 oz chopped tomatoes canned
    • 14 oz spaghetti
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • grated parmesan optional for serving
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Place in a saucepan with the water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 12 to 20 minutes. Check after 12 minutes to see if the quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa "tails" appear. (Cooking times can vary by brand, so check the package directions.)
    • Heat a large frying pan over a medium low heat and 2 tsp olive oil and add the onions cook until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and place in a large bowl. Increase the heat to medium high and add another 2 tsp of olive oil. When the pan has come to heat add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the liquid has almost evaporated. Place in the same bowl as the onions and leave to cool.
    • Add the cooled quinoa to the bowl along with the onions and mushrooms. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley and mix to combine. Test and adjust seasonings with sea salt and pepper as necessary. Add the beat egg and mix until well combined.
    • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
    • Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Using a dessert spoon as a measure, form the mixture into vegetarian "meatballs". If the mixture feels too loose, and is difficult to form into balls, add more breadcrumbs and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before forming into "meatballs".
    • Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and fry the "meatballs", on all sides, carefully turning them with a spatula, in batches until golden. Place on a plate lined with paper towel.
    • Wipe out the frying pan and place it over a medium low heat and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, carrot, thyme and rosemary and cook until the onion turns golden and soft. Increase the heat to medium high and add the red wine. Cook until the red wine has almost evaporated before adding the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and adjust as necessary. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low and add the "meatballs" and cover.
    • When the meatballs go into the pan start the spaghetti. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and season well with salt. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions.
    • Drain the spaghetti and top with the "meatballs" and sauce and serve immediately.

    Notes

    I used red quinoa here which helps the vegetarian "meatballs" look more like regular meatballs, but if you only have white quinoa on hand that's perfectly fine.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 870kcalCarbohydrates: 136gProtein: 30gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1337mgPotassium: 1241mgFiber: 11gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 3129IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 8mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « This Week's Meatless Meal Plan | 05.12.14
    Tandoori Cauliflower with Indian-Spiced Quinoa »

    Dairy Free Recipes, Delicious Everyday, Vegetarian & Vegan Pasta Recipes, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes DE, mushrooms

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Oh my lord this is my favourite meal and I haven't had it since I turned vegetarian 4 years ago. Now I can! Yes! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        I hope you enjoy it Rebecca! I just had some for lunch and it's pretty delicious, if I do say so myself 😉

        Reply
    2. Lysanne says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Oh wow! It looks delicious. FInally, I found vegetarian meatballs.Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂

      Reply
    3. maleeka says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Where can I find brown onions?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        Brown onions are regular onions with brown skins. You'll commonly find these at the supermarket 😀

        Reply
    4. Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      This looks delicious. Very clever idea to create vegetarian meatballs. Have you tried freezing the meatballs? They would be great to have as a standby in the freezer.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        I haven't tried freezing the meatballs, but I have frozen the cooked burgers, on which the meatballs are based, and they are a great. I just defrost them and give them a quick fry in the pan to reheat them and give them back a little of the crispness. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Gourmet Getaways says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Someone also once said, "When faced with something I fear, I tend to eat spaghetti." Our comfort food that perhaps all mothers prepared at least once for their kids. As for me, spaghetti reminds me of mommy :)JulieGourmet Getaways

      Reply
    6. Christie @ Fig & Cherry says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      No one is missing meat here! And extra protein with the quinoa addition. Clever lady! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I would be at the front of the queue waiting for a dish of this. It sounds wonderful!

      Reply
    8. Allison @ Clean Wellness says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      This looks incredible! So authentic. Spaghetti and meatballs was one of my favourite meals, and now I can have it again. Hooray! And is there anything better than twirly pasta? I don't think so!

      Reply
    9. Rebecca says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I just went and bought all the stuff require for this - guess who's having it for dinner (and making a recipe post out of it- I will of course link you 🙂 )

      Reply
    10. Dee says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I made this recipe with lentil spaghetti so it was full of protein and was very tasty and also chopped some basil on top which gave the finishing touch.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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