Meatless Chickpea Meatballs in Marinara
With a crispy exterior, meaty-on-the-inside texture, and seasoned to perfection, these Chickpea Meatballs in Marinara are an obvious choice for spaghetti night.
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 15 ounces chickpeas aka garbanzo beans 15 oz usually = 1 can
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Nutritional Yeast for vegan)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large egg or flax egg for vegan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 24 ounces marinara or spaghetti sauce or Spaghetti Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and drain and rinse your chickpeas and peel your garlic.15 ounces chickpeas aka garbanzo beans, 2 cloves garlic
- Add all your ingredients to a food processor or high powered blender and turn on high until combined.¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, 24 ounces marinara or spaghetti sauce
- Using 1 heaping tablespoon or a medium cookie scoop worth of mixture at a time, roll the mixture into balls until you have 8 roughly equal-sized balls.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the exterior is nice and crispy. Then, simmer in marinara sauce for about 5 minutes to add moisture.
Notes
- Consider reusable baking mats to reduce your plastic waste.
- You can totally make these ahead of time! Just bake them up, but do not simmer them in the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months, or store in the refrigerator for up to ten days. Reheat them in the Marinara or Spaghetti sauce when you are ready to serve!
- Easily make this recipe vegan by substituting a flax egg and Nutritional Yeast for Parmesan.
- Reducing your meat consumption significantly reduces your carbon footprint. Be kind to the planet (as well as your tastebuds!) with more of these delicious meatless pasta meals.