I made this recipe for vegetarian meatballs to celebrate Earth Day. Thanks to a thorough browning, mushrooms provide more than enough savoriness. The garlic, cheese, and parsley do the rest. What really blew me away was how close the texture was to actual meatballs. They are officially approved for use on spaghetti!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound fresh white mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 ounce very finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, packed
- 2 large eggs, divided
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 3 cups pasta sauce
- 1 tablespoon very finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Step 1
Gather and prep all ingredients.
Step 2
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to the hot oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook and stir until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Stir butter into mushrooms, reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir mushrooms until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir onion into mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir garlic into mushroom mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
Step 4
Mix oats into mushroom mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently stir 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into the mixture. Add bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 egg; season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Mix together with a fork until crumbly. Stir in remaining 1 egg. The mixture should hold together when pressed.
Step 5
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. For best flavor and texture, refrigerate overnight.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Step 7
Form mixture into small meatballs using a 2-tablespoon scoop. Roll meatballs lightly between your hands until smooth, if desired; arrange meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 8
Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Step 9
Bring pasta sauce to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat to low. Gently stir meatballs into sauce until coated. Simmer meatballs in sauce until cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 tablespoon parsley.
Chef’s Note
It looks like a ton of Parmesan cheese in the video, but it was only 1 ounce. Because I used a Microplane to grate it, it created a huge pile of cheese. It would be about 1/2 cup if you measured it, but you should use weight for this ingredient.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
Calories 421 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat18g | 23% |
Saturated Fat6g | 31% |
Cholesterol110mg | 37% |
Sodium1695mg | 74% |
Total Carbohydrate50g | 18% |
Dietary Fiber8g | 30% |
Total Sugars21g | |
Protein17g | |
Vitamin C15mg | 75% |
Calcium215mg | 17% |
Iron4mg | 23% |
Potassium1135mg | 24% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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