Hi Savvys!

I was so excited to have received the Bertolli Influenster VoxBox because 1. I love free stuff and 2. I love it even more when it’s food.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the sauce as soon as I got it in my hands.

I had made the Avant Garde Vegan meatball recipe and had it all frozen, waiting to be used for a special occasion.  This was that special occasion.

Like with all premade foods, I always like to add my own flare by adding extra ingredients to it.  For this sauce, I had started with some sautéed cherry tomatoes, king oyster mushroom and of course spinach (for all of the extra leafy green goodness).

The sauce:  I was so amazed by the flavour of this jarred sauce.  I had chosen the Olive Oil and Garlic sauce and wow did it have a lot of flavour.  I am usually skeptical when it comes to pre-made garlic sauces because I usually find the garlic flavour underwhelming.  The garlic here was subtle, but you definitely knew it was there. The olive oil also added lots of depth and umami to the sauce.

The meatballs: It was easier to make than I had expected, though you do need a good couple of hours free before you embark on this task.  It is well worth it though because it can easily serve 8 people so you will have plenty in the freezer for future use.  The meat balls are very meaty in texture, almost like pork meat balls, and the flavour is just like any Italian meat ball you would typically imagine.

Overall I would highly recommend both the sauce and the Avant Garde recipe.  They go perfectly well together and feels like an authentic Italian meal (at least to me anyway).  I’m so happy I have left overs during the week because it is true comfort food without being too heavy!

Comment below on if you tried the Avant Garde recipe as well as the sauce and let me know your thoughts!

Now set forth and be Savvy!

Ingredients:

This recipe serves about 4 portions

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 package king oyster mushrooms, sliced (about 6 large mushrooms)
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 1 jar of Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic pasta sauce
• About ¼ of the Avant Garde Vegan Meatball recipes

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium to high heat.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and let them fry for about a minute.
3. Add the sliced king oyster mushrooms, stir it with the mushrooms so that they touch the pan (instead of just sitting on top of the mushrooms), and let fry for about a minute.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, spinach and meatballs.
5. Cover and let simmer for about 8 minutes on medium low.
6. Serve over your favourite pasta!

*I received the Bertolli VoxBox from Influenster complimentary for review. All thoughts and comments expressed my own.