FOR THE ‘MEATBALLS’

Place all the ingredients except the vital wheat gluten into a food processor and blend the mixture for a few minutes, until all the large pieces have broken down. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and add the vital wheat gluten, kneading gently to incorporate it completely. When a meat-like dough has formed, shape the mixture into 25g balls.

Heat a frying pan with a little vegetable oil and add the meatballs in batches without overcrowding the pan. Sear the balls until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Set aside until ready to serve.

FOR THE SAUCE

Add the oil, onion and garlic to a large heavy-based pan. Saute until translucent then add the red wine, tomato pur.e and Henderson’s Relish. Simmer for a minute or two, then add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, thyme and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 20 minutes then remove from the heat. Using a stick blender, blitz the sauce to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and finish with chopped fresh basil.

If you prefer a chunkier sauce, reserve one tin of the chopped tomatoes and add them back in after the rest of the sauce has been blended. Then bring the sauce back up to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes.

TO SERVE

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add your choice of pasta, such as spaghetti, and cook until al dente. Drain and divide between six bowls. Meanwhile, heat the sauce in a pan and add the cooked meatballs once it’s simmering. Heat the meatballs until piping hot, then generously ladle the meatballs over the pasta. Finish with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and more fresh basil.

Preparation time: 60 minutes, plus resting
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Recipe by Nick Banks from our ‘Strong & Northern’ cookbook.