Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 jar chickpeas (13 ounces) drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup onion roughly chopped
- ½ tablespoon garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons gluten-free vegan Italian-seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
For The Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 jar diced tomatoes (18.3 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- Zoodles, spaghetti squash, or noodles for servings
Instructions
To Make The Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread the drained and rinsed chickpeas onto paper towels and gently dry them off. Gently rub the thin, papery skins off each one and place into a small food processor (mine is 3 cups) along with the applesauce, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until it begins to soften and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Add the onion mixture to the food processor and blend until totally smooth and combined, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the panko and parsley. Use a cookie scoop to form 16 1-tablespoon-sized balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Spray generously with cooking spray and bake for 14 minutes. Spray again and bake another 13-14 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
To Make The Sauce:
- While the meatballs cook, heat the oil in a large, high-sided pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is golden brown and soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until the liquid just begins to evaporate. Stir in the parsley.
- Stir the meatballs into the sauce and serve over your noodles of choice.
- DEVOUR.
