Mushroom and Walnut Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Mushroom and Walnut Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the meatballs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
375g mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
150g walnuts
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
100g fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp tomato paste
Black pepper, to taste

For the sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Cooked Wholemeal Spaghetti to serve

Method
1 Make the meatballs by heating the oil in a large pan and adding the onions and a pinch of salt.
Gently cook for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan and continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft.
2 Mix the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and set aside. Preheat oven to
180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and lightly brush a baking sheet with oil.
3 Add the cooked mushroom mixture to a food processor and add in all the remaining meatball ingredients. Scrape in the chia ‘egg’ and process until everything is finely chopped and well combined. If the mixture is sticky, add a little more of the breadcrumbs or a tablespoon of plain flour. Season the mixture really well.
4 With wet hands, roll the mixture into 16 balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with oil and transfer to the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
5 Place the oil for the sauce into a pan and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry gently until beginning to soften and add the garlic. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until fragrant.
6 Pour in the balsamic vinegar and allow to bubble for a minute before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook for 20 minutes, or until slightly reduced and thickened.
7 When the meatballs are cooked, serve them with the cooked pasta and a generous helping of sauce spooned over. Garnish with fresh basil and a little extra virgin olive oil (drizzled over), if you like.