Zucchini “Meatballs”

Sometimes you want a nice pasta dish that’s full of flavor and texture but still nice and light. Vegetables are the perfect answer for this type of situation, but just chopping and slicing veggies to toss in there, while delicious, isn’t half as fun as “meatballs” made of vegetables. As a bonus, veggie balls are much lower in fat and contain more fiber so you’ll feel just as full as if you had a plate of pork or beef. If you want to enjoy these on a sandwich instead of on some pasta, then by all means, forge ahead to the sound of your own drummer and enjoy!

Zucchini “Meatballs”

For the zucchini balls:

1 1/4 lbs (approximately 2 medium) zucchinis, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

pasta and sauce

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray. Place a large skillet on medium high heat and add the shredded zucchini, garlic, and onions. Cook and stir occasionally until the liquid is all cooked out and the zucchini is softened, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  2. Using your hands scoop out 16 golf ball sized clumps of zucchini mixture and roll them until tightly packed and smooth and place them on the lined and sprayed baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
  3. Cook your pasta according to the package instructions and toss the warm meatballs with the pasta and sauce and serve, top with additional parmesan if desired.