Chickpea ‘Meatballs’ and Zoodles

6 comments

I’ll be the first to admit that zoodles are not an equal replacement for regular pasta– anyone who says otherwise is straight up lying. I’d take a regular bowl of pasta any day over spiralized zucchini. BUT, I swear by them for this recipe.

Hear me out-

The chickpea meatballs are made from a blend of chickpeas, oat flour and some spices, which turns out to be a great combination of starch and protein. What’s missing is a light veggie to balance all of that out- cue the zucchini noodle.

The flavor combo works so well together for these chickpea meatballs and zoodles. It’s a great way to pack in fiber, plant-based protein and tons of veggies! I like a thicker cut for my zoodles, so I used a vegetable peeler to shave them and then sliced them in half. All they need is a quick saute when you add the sauce and they’re ready to go.

A sprinkle of parmesan would be great on this if you’re not strictly vegan, or some shredded cheese (vegan or non-vegan).

It’s one of those super easy weeknight recipes that is perfectly comforting, yet light and satisfying, and comes together in just 35 minutes!

Chickpea ‘Meatballs’ and Noodles

5 from 1 vote
Course: Main
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes

35

minutes

This is a sample recipe card created using the Recipe Card Blocks plugin created by us.

Ingredients

  • 2 large 2 zucchini

  • 2 cups 2 marinara sauce

  • 1 15.5 can 1 15.5 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 oat flour

  • 2 tbsp 2 water, plus more if needed

  • 1 tsp 1 garlic powder

  • 1 tsp 1 dried parsley

  • 1 tsp 1 dried basil

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 crushed black pepper

  • 1/4 tsp 1/4 salt

  • 2 tbsp 2 olive oil

  • nutritional yeast to top

Directions

  • Using a vegetable peeler, thinly shave your zucchini to create wide ribbons, and then slice them in half lengthwise (or spiralize them for a thinner noodle). Set aside.
  • Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor, until mashed.
  • Mix in the seasonings and oat flour and pulse until well combined.

  • Pour in the water by the tbsp until a dough forms.
  • Heat a pan with your cooking oil on medium/low heat.
  • Scoop out about 1 tbsp of dough and roll into a ball. Cook in the skillet until brown on all sides, flipping every 2 minutes- about 12-15 minutes total.
  • Pour the sauce and zucchini noodles into the pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Top with nutritional yeast and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @somethingnutritious on Instagram- I’d love to see your creations!

6 Comments

  1. Do you think it would work to bake or air fry these? I noticed that your falafel burger recipe had an option for baking, and these seemed similar. Thanks so much! Your recipes are always excellent.

  2. Caroline

    Sorry asking so many questions 🙈 I put the zucchini in the same pan I am doing the chickpeas? Or a different one

    • Don’t apologize! I added it into the same pan once the chickpeas were done (with the meatballs still in the pan). The zucchini noodles don’t need too long, otherwise they would get soggy. Adding them to the heated pan with the sauce helps soften them to the perfect texture!

  3. Caroline

    Do I have to use a skillet?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.