Vegetarian Meatballs

Kids wanted spaghetti for dinner. Again! And I was tired of the simple marinara sauce, or pesto (which happens to be their current favorite). I wanted some protein too. And when I thinking of healthy options, I thought, the classic is spaghetti  with  meatballs. Why not make it vegetarian? I mean, if there can be turkey meatballs.. I initially thought lentils, but it was almost time for dinner, and I didn’t have time to soak and pressure cook them, but I did have canned garbanzo beans, so that’s what I went with.

Now, I’m giving the recipe for the “meatballs” here. Marinara sauce (don’t use the sauce out of the jar) is simple, and I’ve already given the recipe here. Cook spaghetti as per instructions on the box, ‘al dente’, toss around in a tablespoon of olive oil and keep aside.

Vegetarian “Meatballs”

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 (medium sized, diced)
Carrot – 1 (medium sized, diced)
Red bell pepper – 1 (medium sized, diced)
Garlic – 2 cloves (minced)
Spinach – 1 bunch (chopped)
Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
Fresh thyme – 1 sprig
White button mushroom – 8 (chopped)
Chickpeas – 1 can (drained and rinsed well)
Breadcrumbs – 1/2 cup
Egg – 1
Parmesan cheese – 1/4 cup (grated)
Fresh parsley (or cilantro) – 1 bunch (chopped fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil – to sauté and drizzle on meatballs

Method:

1. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a hot pan. Sauté onion, carrot, red bell pepper, garlic and thyme for 5 – 7 minutes, till veggies are soft.
2. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add spinach and mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes, till all the liquid is absorbed.
4. Add the chickpeas, cooking for a couple of more minutes, while smashing the chickpeas with the back of your spatula.
4. Remove the mixture from heat, let it cool.
5. Mix in breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well with your fingertips (don’t knead).
6. Preheat the oven to 400F.
7. Grease a cookie sheet or a baking pan with olive oil.
8. Roll the veggie+chickpea mixture into golf ball sized meatballs. Arrange them on the greased tray with at least 1/4″ gap between them.
9. Spray the meat balls with non-stick cooking spray.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned evenly, and cooked through. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
11. Serve on marinara sauce, ladled over a bed of spaghetti.

Note: I decided to keep the meatballs crispy, but if you prefer, after removing them from the oven, you could place them in the marinara sauce, and let them gently poach in sauce before serving them on spaghetti. Just don’t boil them in sauce, lest they fall apart.

Tips:

1. Instead of chickpeas, you could use lentils. (1/2 cup lentils, soaked for an hour and pressure cooked till tender, drained and smashed).
2. You could add chopped walnuts or almonds (1/4 cup) to the mixture for a bit of crunch.
3. Technically, these meatballs could be deep fried, they will taste better I suppose, but this is healthier. 🙂
4. Any hard cheese, Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano can be used. (Parmesan is quite expensive)
5. Add any veggies you like, dice them fine so they’ll cook evenly. Substitute spinach with any other greens you have on hand.

Lazy Dinner

Everyone needs a lazy dinner. The one which you can whip up in say 10-15 minutes, that is still wholesome and tasty. No, it’s not Maggi. Well I don’t have anything against Maggi, but this can even be served to guests. And even sounds fancy. I’ve seen Italian restaurants serve this on their menu for 12 -15 euros. It probably costs 1 euro to serve two. Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino.

Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (serves 2)

Dried spaghetti – about 6 ounces (about 175gms)

Garlic – 2 cloves, minced

Peperoncino (dried red chili) – 1 (don’t over do it)

Olive oil –  3 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Chopped parsley or thyme – 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Cook spaghetti as per package instructions till al dente.

2. Just a minute before draining the spaghetti, heat the olive oil in a pan, toss the minced garlic and crushed peperoncino and saute till the garlic is golden brown.

3. Add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and whisk, till it emulsifies. This is your sauce.

4. Drain the spaghetti and mix with the sauce till it is coated evenly.

5. Sprinkle the herbs on top.

6. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. Always serve with a fresh salad. Whatever you may have on hand. I made a simple salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese with a lemon & olive oil citronette dressing. Came together quickly in the time it took for the water to boil.

2. If you have broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus, just pan roast it in a bit of olive oil and mix it with the spaghetti for a nice variation. If you aren’t too lazy that is.

3. Don’t let the garlic brown too much and turn bitter.

4. You can top the hot pasta with grated parmesan, but it isn’t needed.

5. Always reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta. You never know when your sauce is too thick, and the starchy pasta water is the best way to thin it a bit.