Ikea meatball lovers unite! This vegan Swedish meatball pasta is truly incredible, one of a kind and the dreamiest pasta of all time. The super easy plant-based Swedish meatballs are baked, freeing you up to work on the pasta and then just toss it all together. Plus, in all honestly, I hate pan frying meatballs. It’s tedious, it’s boring and 9 times out of 10, I get those pesky “let’s stick to the pan” meatballs. Throwing them all into the oven in a baking pan makes life so much easier. The sauce is simple and my vegan take on a Swedish meatball sauce and dang is it good.
What You Need For These Swedish Meatballs and Pasta:
- Pasta: Any kind of short pasta will work. I used shells.
- Vegan Beef: You want any brand of vegan ground beef, like Impossible or Beyond.
- Panko, Parsley, Shallot, Allspice, Nutmeg: For the meatball mixture.
- Flax Meal: Whisked together with water to make a flax egg to bind the meatballs.
- Vegan Butter, Garlic, and Flour: To make a garlicky roux to thicken the sauce.
- Veggie Broth: To make the sauce.
- Cashews, Non-dairy Milk and Lemon Juice: This lemony cashew cream will replace the sour cream flavor and creaminess in the sauce.
This vegan Swedish meatball pasta is an unstoppable force. You won’t be able to stop putting it in your mouth. The simplicity in which this meal comes together, will have you making it all the time. I thought I would throw my first nod to fall recipe at you since…it’s almost September and I can’t wait! This recipe has nutmeg and allspice and the creaminess will make you feel like fall is coming. It smells incredible and will instantly make your mouth water. So, just pop these simple meatballs in the oven, make the sauce and pasta and toss in one pot. It will knock your socks off.
Why Should You Make This Creamy Pasta?
- The vegan Swedish meatballs are out-friggin’-standing.
- The creamy sauce for the pasta and meatballs is shockingly easy and so yummy.
- This recipe is easy and uses a lot of ingredients you may already have on hand.
- If you are looking for a recipe to impress the meat lovers in your life, this is it.
- It makes your whole house smell amazing!
Vegan Swedish Meatball Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Raw cashews, soaked*
- 1/2 Cup Non-dairy milk, unsweetened I used oat milk
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Flax meal
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 1/2 Pounds Vegan beef, I used Beyond Beef*
- 1/3 Cup Panko bread crumbs, vegan
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 Shallot, diced(or 1/4 cup red onion)
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 8 ounces Pasta of choice
- 1/4 Cup Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
- 4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup All purpose flour
- 3 Cups Vegetable broth
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees(F).
- Once you have soaked the cashews, drain them and add them to a blender. Then add the non-dairy milk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside.
- Now, make the meatballs. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax meal and water. Set aside to thicken for a few minutes to make a flax egg.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vegan beef, panko, parsley, shallot, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper. Then add the flax egg.
- Stir to thoroughly combine.
- Now take a few tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat until you have used up all of the mixture. You should get 20-24 meatballs.
- Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and put all of the meatballs in the baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and starting to brown.
- While the meatballs bake, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain when al dente.
- In the meantime, make the sauce. Heat the vegan butter on medium high, in a large non-stick skillet(one that will fit all the pasta and meatballs in.)
- Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté, reducing heat as needed, for 1-2 minutes.
- Now, add the flour and whisk it into the butter and garlic to make a roux. It should look like a paste. Simmer for a minute.
- Then add in the vegetable broth. Whisk until there are no lumps left and the roux has been completely incorporated.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. 2-3 minutes.
- Season with a few pinches of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Now, pour in the cashew cream sauce you made. Whisk to combine. Let simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Then taste and adjust seasonings. You may need more salt, pepper or lemon juice.
- Once the pasta is done, add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat.
- Then when the meatballs are done, add them to the skillet and toss to combine everything. Taste again and adjust seasonings.
- Serve immediately with parley on top if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
So sooooooo good. Thank you so much for this recipe! It DOES taste better then the IKEA meatballs and it was SO fast! Thank you for yet another quick evening meal idea!!!! <3<3<3<3<3
Note for those of your with tree nut allergies like my bestie: you can use coconut cream or make a thicker roux and add a creamy oat milk! If you still can't get the sauce thick enough, adding a cornstarch slurry at the end works wonders. Go make this!!!
I made this tonight but instead of using pasta used mashed potatoes that has some salt, pepper, and onion powder. It was absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making this again, and next time I’ll try the pasta 🙂