Plant-Based Italian “Meat” Balls
Enjoy the classic spaghetti & meatball dish with these plant-based “meat” balls. Lower calories and fat, but high on flavor, these are sure winners for your Meatless Mondays.
Ingredients
- 1 can beans of choice
- 1 ½ cups rough chopped mushrooms
- 1 shallot, peeled and rough chopped
- 1 cup dry gluten-free oatmeal
- ¼ cup rough chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup ground flaxseeds or chia seeds
- 1 egg
- ¼ cups shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes (more if you like spice)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°.
- Prep your ingredients – drain and rinse the beans, rub off any dirt from mushrooms, peel the shallot, and roughly chop mushrooms, shallot, and walnuts (they will get fully chopped in the food processor.)
- Add all the ingredients to your food processor or blender. (If you don’t have a food processor or blender, dice the vegetables and walnuts to roughly ¼” cubes and stir together all ingredients by hand)
- Pulse for 5-10 seconds each, scraping down sides as needed. Try to keep some of the ingredients intact (not fully pureed) for better texture.
- Spray oil on a large baking sheet and your hands.
- Using your hands, grab roughly 2 tbsp of mixture and roll into a ball. Place on the baking sheet ½-1 inch apart. They will not spread.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bottoms are slightly browned.
- Top your favorite spaghetti or pasta or try with spaghetti squash and your favorite sauce.
Notes
Feel free to sub gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs instead of oatmeal!
If there is a nut allergy – skip the nuts! The nuts are used for an extra crunch, so if you prefer more texture, sub for unsalted shelled sunflower seeds or pepitas for an allergy-friendly option.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 10g
