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
- Making the Meatballs:
- In a large non-stick skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and let it heat for 30 seconds.
- Add onions and saute till golden brown.
- Now add mushrooms, garlic and saute till mushrooms become slightly cooked (about 2 minutes).
- Saute till the water from mushroom is almost evaporated and then turn off the heat.
- Let the mushrooms cool down completely.
- Now, add the chickpeas, mushroom mix, quinoa, herbs, and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse to form a crumbly dough.
- Scoop the dough to a clean surface and divide it into equal balls.
Cooking the Meatballs:
- Heat a skillet and add 2 tbsp oil.
- Place 7-8 meatballs (or as many your pan accommodate) in the pan and lightly cook them over medium heat.
- Turn them slowly to prevent them from breaking and cook till the entire meatball is golden brown
- OR
- 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:
- In a large bowl, blend the cooked chopped tomatoes and carrots with a blender or hand-blender.
- 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.