Recipe Background
Impossible Pasta is a delightful plant-based dish with hearty texture and customizable flavors, perfect for sharing.
Cooking Impossible Pasta brings a delightful twist to your kitchen routine. While the traditional aroma of garlic and onion fills the air, there's a subtle earthiness from the plant-based meat that surprises and delights. As the meatballs bake, their edges deepen to a beautiful golden hue, suggesting a rewarding bite ahead. Adding breadcrumbs to the mix ensures they retain a tender juiciness, making each forkful a satisfying experience.
Once the pasta and sauce come together, a symphony of flavors awaits. The Italian seasoning provides a familiar yet lively herbal backdrop, while the spaghetti sauce envelops each noodle in a comforting embrace. The optional hint of red pepper flakes can add a gentle warmth, rounding out the dish for those who enjoy a bit of heat. Using both regular and mini penne gives a varied texture to each mouthful, ensuring there's something to appreciate in every bite.
Sharing this meal is a joy, whether you're gathered around a bustling family table or hosting an intimate dinner. Serving with extra shaved parmesan and microgreens lets your guests personalize their plates, fostering an atmosphere of casual elegance. It's a dish that manages to be both simple and impressive—perfect for engaging culinary conversations without overwhelming the senses.
Ingredients
For the Impossible® meatballs:
- 1 (12-ounce) package Impossible ground beef
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese optionally dairy-free
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- red pepper flakes optional, to taste
For the pasta:
- 6 ounces penne pasta
- 6 ounces mini penne pasta
- 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
- parmesan cheese to taste, grated or shaved, optionally dairy-free, for serving
- microgreens optional, to taste, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, add the Impossible ground beef, the onions, the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese, the Italian seasoning, the breadcrumbs, the salt, and the red pepper flakes and mix until fully combined.
- Roll the meat mixture into 3 large meatballs and 6 small meatballs.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs until the small meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the small meatballs to a plate.
- Continue to bake the large meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 additional minutes.
- In two pots of salted, boiling water, add the penne and the mini penne separately and cook to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the penne and the mini penne.
- Add the penne, the mini penne, and the spaghetti sauce to one of the cooking pots and stir to combine.
- Serve the pasta topped with the meatballs, the extra parmesan cheese, and the microgreens.
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