Prep Time:

25 min

|

Cook Time:

30 min

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• Zoodles
  2 large zucchini, spiralized*

• Chickpea “Meatballs"
  1, 14-oz can chickpeas
  1 egg
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  1/2 cup rolled oats (or oat flour)
  1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  3 tablespoons chopped basil
  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• Simple, Fresh Tomato Sauce
  2 pounds fresh tomatoes (Roma, heirloom, cherry, or whatever variety you can find)
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 garlic clove, chopped
  1 tablespoon tomato paste
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Zoodles

   Boil a pot of water with a good dash of sea salt, toss in your zucchini noodles, and cook for one minute. Drain in a colander and serve. If you like your zoodles dry, gently blot them with a clean kitchen towel before serving.

   *If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to make wider, fettuccine-style zoodles. Simply apply light pressure with the peeler along the sides of the zucchini. Or, using a good chef’s knife, you can carve out long, rustic pasta strips. Click here, for more veggie noodle creation inspiration. 

2. Chickpea “Meatballs"

   Preheat oven to 425°, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain chickpeas and transfer to a food processor to crush. Alternatively, you can mash the chickpeas with a potato masher.

   Add egg, olive oil, oats, tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, oregano, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes to the food processor and blend until combined (or add to a bowl to combine without a processor). If mixture is too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

   Form mixture into 8 balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake 8-to-10 minutes more, until golden. Serve with zoodles and sauce (see below).

   Tip: You can add leftover chickpea "meatballs" to salads for an extra boost of plant protein.

3. Simple, Fresh Tomato Sauce

   Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds and discard. Place the cut side of tomato on a cutting board and chop.

   Heat up a wide saucepan on medium high heat with the olive oil and garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt, and bring to a simmer. Reduce sauce by simmering for about 15-20 minutes. Add fresh basil before serving.

   Top your zoodles and chickpea "meatballs" with the sauce. Enjoy!

   
   © 2020 Suzanne Boothby. Used with permission.