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RAW PASTA PRIMAVERA + MEATBALLS

Raw Pasta Primavera with walnut-mushroom meatballs, zucchini noodles, fresh veggies and tomato sauce is a healthy and delicious lunch or dinner!

side angle view of bowl of raw pasta primavera with meatballs.

Let’s un-cook something wonderful!

Need I say much about this dish except that is amazing and fresh and a nice escape from the salads of the day.

I love salads but these raw pasta dishes take it to another level of raw foods that I can really get into.

Using fresh herbs will also add to the freshness and flavor. The oregano in the meatballs was just delicious. And sprinkle some of the herbs on top too.

It’s a dish full of flavors that mingle together for a tasty sensation. You may find yourself craving this raw dish again and again!

top down view of ingredients used to make raw pasta primavera and meatballs.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In this recipe, zucchini is spiralized into noodles, raw meatballs are made with walnuts and mushrooms, veggies are diced and served with a raw marinara sauce for a raw pasta dish to enjoy anytime of year.

Here is everything you will need:

  • Zucchini + Yellow Squash – for the vegetable noodles
  • Raw Marinara Sauce (this recipe is delicious using basil)
  • Bell pepper – orange and yellow
  • Cherry tomatoes – or your favorite tomatoes diced
  • Mushrooms – baby bella, portobello, or white
  • Tahini
  • Walnuts
  • Oats – old-fashioned, quick or oat flour
  • Garlic
  • Shallot
  • Tamari – or nama shoyu
  • Fresh oregano
  • Salt + pepper

head on view of showing the process of making raw zucchini noodles.

How To Make Raw Pasta Primavera

(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

  • Prep the veggies. Spiralize or julienne (either with a julienne tool or spiralizer (affiliate links)) your zucchini & squash for the pasta. Prepare your diced veggies.

side by side photos showing the process of making raw walnut meatballs.

  • Make the meatballs. Place ingredients for the meatballs into your food processor/high speed blender, blend until well combined but still a bit chunky (not too chunky but just a very minimal amount). Scoop out and form into balls by gently flipped them back and forth between your palms then use your fingers to mold, making a nice circle shape.
  • Make the marinara sauce: Rinse equipment that the meatballs were made in and start the marinara sauce according to the Raw Marinara Sauce recipe. Alternatively, make the sauce a day ahead, or before the meatballs.

And that’s it, it comes together in under 30 minutes for a fresh lunch or dinner!

Tips + Faqs

  • What do raw meatballs taste like? Made with walnuts and mushrooms, the mixture is somewhat soft, but holds a shape. You can expect the flavor to be fresh and the texture somewhat soft like a pate.
  • How do you store leftovers? Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The raw meatballs are more time sensitive and should be eaten as soon as possible. The remaining sauce and veggies will last a few extra days, if stored properly.

Serving Suggestions

top down view of bowl of raw pasta primavera with meatballs.

More Easy Raw Recipes

Let me know if you try this raw pasta recipe or have a question! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

RAW PASTA PRIMAVERA + MEATBALLS

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Raw Pasta Primavera with walnut-mushroom meatballs, fresh veggies and tomato sauce is a healthy and delicious lunch or dinner!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 30 min
  • Yield: Serves 2 - 4 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: puree, mix
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 large zucchini, diced
  • 12 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 batch Raw Marinara Sauce (using basil)

Pasta

  • 3 zucchini, spiralize or julienne
  • 3 yellow squash, spiralize or julienne

Meatballs

  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (baby bella’s or cremini)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons quick oats or oat flour
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/2 small shallot
  • 2 teaspoons tamari (or nama shoyu)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, packed
  • mineral salt + cracked pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prep veggies: Start by preparing your veggies. Spiralize or julienne (either by hand or with a julienne tool) the zucchini & squash for the pasta. Set aside.

Meatballs: Place ingredients for the meatballs into your food processor/blender, blend until well combined but still a bit chunky (not too chunky, but just a very minimal amount). Taste for seasoning. Scoop out 3 tablespoons of mixture at a time and form into balls by gently flipping back and forth between your palms and use your fingers to mold making a nice circle shape. Makes about 8. Set aside.

Serve: Layer pasta in individual serving dishes, top with marinara, a handful of veggies and a couple meatballs. Finish it off by topping with a light dusting of almond parmesan and some fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

Serves 2 – 4

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

To soak the walnuts or not: There are benefits to soaking your nuts and seeds whenever possible. In this recipe they need to dry out completely after soaking or the mixture will be too wet. For that reason this is an option here, especially if it’s not convenient with your time frame. The reason why soaking is a good idea is that it enables your body to digest the nuts & seeds more easily. It also increases the nutrients and allows your body to absorb them more readily. But don’t worry if you can’t soak, you’re still getting health benefits. Here is quick article with the essential information and a nice chart of all the nuts/seeds soaking & sprouting times: Benefits of Soaking Nuts

Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 507
  • Sugar: 8.9 g
  • Sodium: 249 mg
  • Fat: 28.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 61.2 g
  • Fiber: 13.6 g
  • Protein: 13.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Updated: Raw Pasta Primavera recipe originally published January 2013 and has been updated June 2020 with new photos and helpful tips.

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14 Comments

  1. Hi!

    I just discovered your blog after pinning some of your recipes on Pinterest. I’m very excited to try them out! I’m sensitive to oats and don’t eat them, can you recommend an alternative to the oat flour for the raw meatballs?

    Thanks

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Hi Lynn, you can try subbing in regular flour in place of the oats. If you’re going gluten free try using quinoa flour. It can be ordered online if you can’t find it at your local grocery stores. Hope that helps, enjoy!

  2. Dr. Andrew Weil advises against eating button or common portabella mushrooms frequently and especially never raw. If you google you can find the article on it. I bet eating raw in moderation is fine though!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      That is good to know! I will have to look into that myself. I don't eat them raw very often, sometimes in my salads or if I make these mushroom balls, but mostly they are cooked when I eat them. Thank you for the adivce and the direction to look in! Cheers :)

  3. M. Butler says:

    I've read some things that mention mushrooms should be cooked. Is this not the case?

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      I've never heard of that myself. I've eaten store bought mushrooms raw for years. I like to throw them in my salads and now I use them in nut meats like this. Maybe some exotic mushrooms are better cooked but in general the mushrooms we find in our local markets are fine eaten raw. :)

  4. Anonymous says:

    Meatballs? More like mush balls. I was really disappointed with these. I followed your recipe verbatim and even made sure everything was dry before adding it to the mixture. These were so mushy the meatballs wouldn't hold their shape. :(

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Awww, I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you! I hate it when that happens, putting time, expectation and money into a recipe that didn't stand up. I have to say these were not the firmest meatballs in the world but I didn't have trouble with them falling apart. I hope at least it wasn't a total loss and the flavor was spot on for you…in a case like yours this could be topped over the primavera instead of being a ball shape. Hope you don't loss faith in the recipes here over this one. :)

  5. I'm wondering if almonds can be used in place of the walnuts in the neat balls (and also in the taco nut "meat")? Or is there a texture/taste difference that makes walnuts preferable?

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Walnuts do have a more earthy flavor that pairs well with the mushrooms, and they're a little softer when chewing but you can try almonds too and see how it goes. I've never tried it so I would be curious to know.

    2. Not sure if it was the almonds or the lack of a high speed blender, but they were a bit mushy, so I ended up having to cook them in the oven a bit. If I'd had more time, I would have cooked them on the lowest temp, but I didn't have time, so I had to bake them at 350F for about 20 mins just to firm them up enough that they wouldn't totally mush.

    3. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Thank you for coming back with your results and how you tried to solve the problem. Mine were a bit soft but not mushy. I think baking them at the lowest temp is great idea too. I will definitely have to try that soon.

  6. I juts discovered your blog and I want to thank you already. Your recipes look delish and I can't wait to try them.

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Thank you Kissa! Hope you love them as much as I do :)

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