Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Meat(less)balls

Marinara Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Meat(less)balls:

• 1 package of GimmeLean! ground beef substitute
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon A1 steak sauce
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a bowl and mix well with hands until all ingredients are completely incorporated. If mixture is too wet, add a little bit more breadcrumbs.

Roll tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture between palms to form balls. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When all meatballs are formed and oil is hot, add the meatballs to the pan in small batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Using tongs, brown the meatballs on each side for about 1 minute -- don't let them sit longer than a minute per side or they will burn. Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the pan and add the next batch.

After all of the meatballs have been browned and removed from the pan, add the meatballs to the sauce and heat over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve sauce and meat(less)balls with your favorite pasta, cooked according the the instructions on the pasta package.