Aubergine and Quinoa 'Meatballs' with Tomato Sauce

These delicious meat-free meatballs are great for all the family. They can be made ahead and kept in the fridge and served with a shop bought tomato sauce for extra family dinner time speed. Note: you will need to chill the meatballs for 1 hour before cooking.

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Ingredients

red wine 185 ml
fresh basil 1 handful (leaves picked)
caster sugar 1 tsp
balsamic vinegar 1 tsp
chia seeds 4 tbsp
egg 1 (beaten)
black olives 50 g (chopped)
Parmesan 70 g
breadcrumbs 75 g
chopped tomatoes 800 g
spaghetti 300 g
aubergine 2 (chopped)
garlic cloves 4 (crushed)
onion 1 (chopped)
olive oil 3 tbsp
quinoa 100 g

Method

To cook the quinoa, heat a medium saucepan over a high heat. Add the quinoa and shake it around in the pan for about 30 seconds to start to toast it. Pour in 65ml water per portion and allow it to boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes before taking off the lid and running a fork through the quinoa to separate the grains.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the onion. Crush the garlic. Chop the aubergine into small pieces. Finely chop the olives.
Heat 1/3 of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until it is starting to soften but not colour.
Add half the garlic and all the aubergine. Sauté for about 10–12 minutes until the aubergine is completely softened. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
Put the aubergine and onion mixture, quinoa, breadcrumbs, parmesan, olives, egg, chia seeds and basil leaves into a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, then pulse until the mixture holds together. Firmly shape into golf ball-sized balls, making approximately 7 per serving. Sit on a parchment or cling film lined tray or plate and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
To make the sauce, add the chopped tomatoes, red wine, caster sugar and balsamic vinegar to a pan. Cook over a low heat for 20–30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the meatballs and cook over a medium–high heat, gently turning/ rolling frequently, until lightly golden. You may need to do a couple of batches depending on the size of your pan.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions and drain.
Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, spoon over the cooked spaghetti and serve. Enjoy!

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Aubergine and Quinoa 'Meatballs' with Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients

Method

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