Put a twist on classic spaghetti and meatballs with this delicious plant based version! Making over a traditional main course meal is very fun and helps you stay on track with your health goals without sacrificing flavor.

 

Ingredients

Vegetarian Mushroom Meatballs:

• 2 cups of mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 cup drained/cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 large onion peeled and finely diced
• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (leaves only)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme (leaves only)
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp liquid aminos (optional)
• juice of one lemon
• freshly ground black pepper

 

Marinara or Tomato Sauce and Zucchini Noodles are also used for this recipe!

Instructions

1. Making the Meatballs:
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and let it heat for 30 seconds.
3. Add onions and saute till golden brown.
4. Now add mushrooms, garlic and saute till mushrooms become slightly cooked (about 2 minutes).
5. Saute till the water from mushroom is almost evaporated and then turn off the heat.
6. Let the mushrooms cool down completely.
7. Now, add the chickpeas, mushroom mix, quinoa, herbs, and the rest of the ingredients  in a food processor.
8. Pulse to form a crumbly dough.
9. Scoop the dough to a clean surface and divide it into equal balls.

 

Cooking the Meatballs:

1. Heat a skillet and add 2 tbsp oil.
2. Place 7-8 meatballs (or as many your pan accommodate) in the pan and lightly cook them over medium heat.
3. Turn them slowly to prevent them from breaking and cook till the entire meatball is golden brown
4. OR
5. You can line them on a baking tray and spray some cooking oil on all sides. Bake for 400F for 15 minutes.

 

Heat the Sauce.

 

Serving the Vegetarian Meatballs with Zoodles:

Sautee the zoodles very lightly in a pan or place them on a serving plate raw. Either way is fine!

In a serving plate, place some zoodles in the bottom.

Now add 3-4 meatballs on top and pour 2-3tbsp marinara sauce on the top. (you can add less or more).

Serve Immediately

 

If you want to make your own sauce here is a recipe:

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions peeled and finely diced
• 2 carrots peeled and finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• small bunch fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp tomato puree
• 4 cups of chopped tomatoes
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper

 

Instructions for Tomato Sauce:

1. In a large bowl, blend the cooked chopped tomatoes and carrots with a blender or hand-blender.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened but not browned, 2-3 mins. Add oregano, crushed red chili pepper, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir-in the crushed tomatoes mixture and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Add basil and bay leaves.  Add salt to taste and reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.