Penne Puttanesca with Veggie Meatballs

Tonight for dinner I made Penne Puttancesca with Veggie Meatballs. The recipe came from the February 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. I've tried a few store bought veggie meatballs and thought they were fine, but not fantastic so I was very excited to make my own.  Here's the recipe:

Penne Puttanesca with Veggie Meatballs
4 oz. dried penne pasta
7 oz. (half of 14-oz. pkg.) soy sausage substitute, such as Gimme Lean (1 cup packed)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish, optional
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, divided
1/4 tsp. ground fresh pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.), divided
1 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbs. chopped black olives, optional

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine soy sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1 Tbs basil, 1 tsp. garlic, and pepper with fingers.
2. Coat large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium high heat.  roll soy sausage mixture into 12 balls, about 2 Tbs. each. Cook meatballs 5 to 6 minutes, or until evenly browned. Add tomato sauce, olives, remaining 1 Tbs. basil, and remaining 1 tsp. garlic. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 3-5 minutes to let flavors meld.
3. Drain pasta and stir into tomato sauce mixture.

I thought the meal was really flavorful and so easy to make. Plus it took less than 30 minutes from start to finish! I did substitute a vegan Parmesan cheese and would probably opt to leave out the cheese entirely next time. However, the meatballs and the sauce both tasted great. The veggie meatballs had a very nice texture and flavor. I will definitely be making this again!