RECIPE: Better than meatballs
Updated: Jan 24
Polpette (meatballs) are traditionally made with ground meat. Of course, you could use a store-bought vegan mince, but I love the rich and meaty texture of walnuts. And as a bonus, they are both delicious and nutritious!
Polpette with Pomodoro Sauce
Makes approximately 15 polpette balls
INGREDIENTS
Walnut polpette
2 cups walnuts
2 slices seeded bread (or your favourite bread)
1 tablespoon vegan 'beef' style or vegetable stock powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
¼ cup water
handful of fresh parsley
dashes of liquid smoke (optional)
Pomodoro Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
700g tomato passata
1 teaspoon salt
few basil leaves (optional)
METHOD
Polpette
Into a blender or food processor, pulse walnuts and bread briefly.
Add remaining polpette ingredients except the water and process until it begins to resemble mince. Now with the blender still running, pour in the water. The mixture should now be moist and malleable.
Roll the mixture into balls the size of a walnut shell (or slightly larger if you like) and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 25 minutes. Turning over carefully half way through.
Meanwhile, make the pomodoro sauce.
Pomodoro sauce
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over a low-medium heat and add the garlic. Allow the garlic to infused for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, ensuring it doesn't brown.
Stir through the passata, salt and basil leaves. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once out of the oven, stir the polpette gently through the pomodoro sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes so the polpette soak up some of the liquid.
Remove from the heat and stir through your favourite pasta or enjoy as a side or starter along with fresh crusty bread for dipping.
NOTE:
These can easily be made gluten free - replace with slices of your favourite gluten free bread/breadcrumbs. And for oil-free, cook polpette in the pomodoro sauce without the olive oil.