A Romanesco Pasta Recipe That Turns This Unique Veggie Into a Meatball

If you’re looking for a romanesco pasta recipe, don’t just sauté it and throw it into a dish. Turn this unique brassica into a vegetable meatball!

I think it’s the Italian in me, but I’m absolutely obsessed with meatballs. I used to be a super purist and thought meatballs could only be made with meat. But my best friend changed my mind after she made me lentil meatballs. From that moment I became obsessed with making vegetarian alternatives to meat dishes.

These veggie meatballs were one of those experiments and resulted in one of the most interesting romanesco pasta recipes I’ve seen. Trust me, you won’t miss the meat!

Romanesco Pasta Recipe

Since this pasta recipe with romanesco is made with red sauce, the first thing you taste is the sweet acidity from the sauce. It’s basil-y, but still savory from the bay leaf.

The meatball is creamier than meat varieties thanks to the airy quality ricotta adds. I created these meatballs with lentils to add a bit more structure, since romanesco has more water content and likely wouldn’t come together into a meatball on its own.

The best part of these romanesco and lentil meatballs is the savory flavor. You taste the romanesco immediately, with just the subtlest hint of thyme at the end. Paired with the sweet sauce, it is unbelievably satisfying.

What is romanesco?

Romanesco is in the brassica family, which is the same vegetable category as broccoli and cauliflower. It’s a bright chartreuse color and looks quite similar to cauliflower or broccoli, but with a more pointed and symmetrical shape. It’s sometimes called “romanesco broccoli”.

This vegetable originated in Italy and is available in early spring and sometimes again in the fall.

How do you cook romanesco?

You cook romanesco the same way you’d cook broccoli or cauliflower! My favorite way to cook any of these vegetables is to roast them, since this brings out more interesting flavors than boiling. In this romanesco pasta recipe, you get that meat-like complex flavor by roasting the romanesco before pulverizing it into a ground meat consistency.

The Recipe:

Serves 4 | Active 40 minutes | 90 minutes total

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry lentils
1 small head of romanesco (can substitute cauliflower)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus some more for brushing onto meatballs
6 garlic cloves
2 tsp. peeled, grated carrot
1, 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzanos)
1, 28-oz. can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
3/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
1 pound linguini pasta

Directions:

You know I love prepping ingredients ahead. I encourage you to make the lentils, red sauce, and roasted romanesco over the weekend to make this recipe go fast! I’ve separated out the steps you can do ahead of time.

1. Cook the lentils: Rinse the lentils under water and pick over for any stones. Add 2 cups of water too a pot, then add the lentils to the pot of water. Bring the water to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the temperature to maintain a very gentle simmer (you should only see a few bubbles). Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until tender. Strain the lentils, season with salt, and set aside.
2. Prepare the romanesco: Preheat the oven to 400°F. While it’s warming up, cut the romanesco into 1″ florets (they don’t have to be perfect because you’ll be pulverizing them in a food processor later.) Add to a baking sheet and toss with 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt, & pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until soft. Set aside.
3. Prepare the red sauce: Heat 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot (I use my dutch oven). Meanwhile, mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the grated carrot. Stir, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the 2 cans of crush tomatoes and stir to incorporate garlic/carrot mixture. Add sugar, salt, bay leaf, and (optional) red pepper flakes. Season with pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45-60 minutes (mo’ time = mo’ flavor).
5. When the sauce is done simmering, add chopped basil and more salt to taste. Set aside.

Everything above this line can be done ahead.

Prepare the meatballs: Pulse the lentils and romanesco in a food processor into a mushy paste. Remove from the food processor and add to a large bowl.
Add the 2 remaining minced garlic cloves, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, thyme, parsley, 1 remaining Tbsp. of chopped basil, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix, then add the beaten eggs and mix again. Lastly, add the panko, incorporate with your hands, and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
Roll the meatballs into 2″ balls. Line on a parchment paper cookie sheet and coat with extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the 400°F for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until browned.
While meatballs are cooking, cook the pasta. Bring water to boil in a pot. When boiling, salt the water generously and add the pasta to the salted water. Cook until al dente, usually 5-7 minutes (often less time than the package directions!). Reserve some of the cooking water in case you need it, then drain and put back the pasta into the pot. Add some of the red sauce and stir to incorporate, loosening with the reserved pasta water if needed.
When meatballs are complete, add them to the remaining red sauce pot (I usually save a few to eat without sauce, yum!). Serve over pasta (with grated Parmesan cheese and basil if desired).

* Without the pasta this is only 350 calories, so consider going without!

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Nutritional Facts Disclaimer: I am not a registered nutritionist and therefore these numbers are approximate. I researched the serving sizes and facts for each ingredient in this recipe (mostly using the manufacturer labels and this site), but slight variations in things like seasoning, garnishes, and substitutions can change the nutritional information. Use this information only as a general indication of your nutritional intake.

Romanesco image from Smabs Sputzer via Flickr