Prep time - 40 minutes

Cook time - 30 minutes

Difficulty - Easy

Serves / makes - 2-3 portions

Ingredients

For the meatballs -

Sunflower oil 

200g onions, roughly chopped

20g garlic, roughly chopped 

200g mushrooms, roughly chopped

2t yeast spread (aka marmite, vegemite)

4t stock powder

Salt (optional)

70g porridge oats 

70g gram flour (or plain flour)

For the sauce - 

Sunflower oil 

1 onion, around 150g, finely chopped

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1t yeast spread

2t stock powder

Salt, to taste 

200-300g spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions

Equipment

Frying pan

Large bowl

Hand blender or food processor 

Baking tray 

Large sauce pan 

Method

1. Heat your oven to 200c/400f/GM6.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, once it is hot add the roughly chopped onions. Allow them to cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until they are translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms, mix well and allow them to cook for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

3. Put the vegetables into a bowl, blend until smooth. Add the yeast spread, stock powder and salt. Mix in well.

4. Add the oats and flour to the bow, mix in well. Allow the mixture to rest for around 5-10 minutes until it has firmed up enough to make into balls. Roll the mixture into 8-10 balls. The mixture will still be quite wet so wet your hands and roll the balls gently between your hands.

5. Put a little oil on the baking tray, place the balls in the oil. Bake for around 15 minutes until they are cooked through. You can turn them over halfway through the cooking process so that they brown on both sides.

6. Whilst the balls are baking make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan, once it is hot add the finely chopped onions. Allow them to cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until they are translucent. Add the tomatoes, yeast spread and salt. Simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes on a medium heat until the raw taste of the tomatoes has gone and the sauce has thickened.

7. Add the balls to the sauce, mix them in gently, add cooked spaghetti, mix again and serve immediately.