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no whole beans are left. (We start with a potato masher and then use a fork to get any rebel beans that refuse to mash.) You don’t want them to be completely smooth, you should still be able to recognize that they are kidney beans. Add the soy sauce, steak sauce, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest, bread crumbs, wheat gluten, and herbs, and use a fork to mix everything together. Use your hands to knead the mixture for about a minute, until everything is really well combined and firm.

Roll the bean mixture into walnut-size balls (you should have twelve to fifteen of them). But don’t make them too big; smaller makes for the best texture.

A few minutes after you’ve began cooking the beanballs (directions follow), add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes.

To assemble:

Drain your spaghetti and put it back in the pot. Pour your remaining marinara sauce over the pasta and mix. Use a pasta spoon to transfer the spaghetti to plates, then top with three or four beanballs and their sauce.

To Bake the Beanballs:

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place the balls on the sheet and then drizzle them with a little more oil, to coat. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and pour about ⅓ cup of your marinara sauce onto them, flipping them around to coat. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

To Panfry the Beanballs:

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about ¼ inch of olive oil into the pan, then add your meatballs (you might have to do this in two batches or two pans, if your pan isn’t big enough). Cook for about 15 minutes, tossing them often, until browned on all sides. Add ⅓ cup of marinara sauce to the meatballs, and toss to coat. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

SPICY TEMPEH AND BROCCOLI RABE WITH ROTELLE

SERVES 4

TIME: 40 MINUTES

The bittersweet flavor of broccoli rabe (also known as broccolini, broccoli rape, rapini, or rabini) matched with whole wheat pasta and peppery braised tempeh create a complex tasting meal reminiscent of the classic Italian dish featuring sausage. Our recipes testers loved how it was a perfect balance of pasta, protein, and greens; we love its spicy texture and savory bite. Spiral-shaped pasta nicely captures the tiny bits of tempeh, red pepper, and olive oil, but substitute any shape you like.

½ pound whole wheat rotelle or other spiral-shaped pasta

Spicy fennel tempeh: 1 (15-ounce) package tempeh, cubed

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon red wine vinegar

Broccoli rabe: ¼ cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 bunch broccoli rabe (½-¾ pound), tough stems trimmed, chopped coarsely

2-3 tablespoons white wine, water, or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

➣If you don’t like the bitter edge of rabe, simply substitute regular broccoli, trimming it into bite-size pieces.

BRING A large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and keep covered either in a large covered serving bowl or the cooking pot. While your pasta is boiling, prepare the other ingredients.

Prepare the tempeh:

Place the tempeh in a large, nonstick skillet. In a measuring cup, whisk together the vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Pour over the tempeh, stir to coat, and cook over medium heat until the liquid starts to simmer. Cover the pan and steam the tempeh for 8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the tempeh is tender. Stir a few times while tempeh is steaming.

Transfer the tempeh to a bowl and crumble