LiveWell Louisiana

Submit Your Recipe
Weekly Meal Planner

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size
Amount Per Serving
Calories0
% Daily Value
Total Fat g%
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Makes
Calories

10 min.

40 min.

50 min.

4

0

Eggplant Meatballs and Pasta

These meatballs have a meaty texture due to the eggplant. 

Ingredients:

1 medium sized eggplant cut into 1 inch cubes (unpeeled)
3 garlic cloves minced
Salt/Black Pepper to taste
1 can of pinto beans
1/4 cup of buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 cup of nuts: cashews, pine nuts, or walnuts
1 tsp. of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. of oregano minced
1 tsp of Braggs amino acids or soy sauce
1 pkg of spaghetti pasta
Sauce: 1 garlic clove chopped, 2 basil leaves minced, 1 (13 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes. Salt/Pepper to taste.
Opt: Parmesan cheese, spinach leaves, fresh herbs

Instructions:

1Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a large glass or enameled casserole dish.
2In a skillet, heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil at medium heat. Add garlic and eggplant with salt and pepper. Sauté until eggplant turns dark or has golden brown edges. Remove from heat.
3In a food processor or blender add the nuts, buckwheat, and corn starch. Ground the nuts to a meal. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the sauce and pasta.) Process/blend until a sticky and semi-solid mixture forms. Do not pureé. Using a tablespoon grab the mixture and form meatballs placing them onto the dish. Once done, bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
4Start making the sauce. Add the oil to a heated large saucepan at medium heat. Add the garlic, using a wooden spoon sauté the garlic for 2-3 mins. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and place a lid over the saucepan. Lower the heat to simmer and let sit, stirring every few mins or so.
5Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once ready (at a boil) add the pasta to cook per package instructions.
6Once the pasta is done, drain the pasta into a colander.
7Assemble your dish with the fresh herbs and spinach. Add grated Parmesan cheese if you wish.