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:
1 | Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a large glass or enameled casserole dish. |
2 | In 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. |
3 | In 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. |
4 | Start 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. |
5 | Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once ready (at a boil) add the pasta to cook per package instructions. |
6 | Once the pasta is done, drain the pasta into a colander. |
7 | Assemble your dish with the fresh herbs and spinach. Add grated Parmesan cheese if you wish. |