Plant-Based Impossible Meatballs
Meatballs two ways: simmered in a homemade tomato basil sauce and nested on whole wheat spaghetti with a fresh basil pesto.
Plant-Based Impossible Meatballs
Rachel Artus | October 19, 2020
- prep time: 10-15 minutes
- cook time: 25 minutes
- total time: 35-40 minutes
- servings: 12-14 golf ball-sized meatballs
Ingredients:
12oz. (or 1 pack) Impossible Ground “Beef”
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
3-4 baby Bella mushrooms, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
¼ cup zucchini, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp paprika
1 egg yolk
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
Garnish with: fresh basil and grated parmesan
Instructions:
- Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat, then add 1 Tbsp olive oil and onion. Allow the onion to cook to translucent, then add mushroom, zucchini and parsley.
- Allow vegetables to soften (stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes), then add the minced garlic and sauté everything together until garlic becomes fragrant. Turn off heat and allow vegetable mixture to cool before combining with the remaining ingredients (to prevent the egg from cooking on contact).
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cooled vegetables, Impossible ground “beef”, parmesan, egg yolk, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the the same pan that was used to sauté the vegetables and heat on medium.
- Using your hands or a spoon, thoroughly incorporate the ingredients together to create an even mixture.
- Roll out 12-14 golf ball-sized meatballs and space them out evenly in the pan. Using tongs, turn every 2-3 minutes to ensure even cooking on all sides.
- Optional: After meatballs have cooked through, reduce the heat to low and scoop 2-3 ladles full of pasta sauce into the pan. Allow meatballs to simmer in the sauce for 3-5 minutes to enhance flavor and moisture.
- Serve over whole wheat pasta and garnish with fresh basil and more parmesan.
Although I live by the freedom that the “plant-based” label provides around food, I love to play around with the vegetarian versions of some of my favorite meals that typically call for animal proteins, with the main one being meatballs. We have so many delicious plant-based meat alternatives these days! I’m a huge fan of Impossible Foods Plant-Based Beef because its flavor, texture, appearance and cooking functionality are so close to that of real beef. You will not find a meat analog (alternative) that mimics the real product as closely as this.
This is a super straight forward meatball recipe, though I add an extra step in the beginning to sneak some more vegetables in this dish. By very finely chopping and sautéing onion, mushroom, zucchini and parsley together beforehand, these vegetables become super soft and take on a similar texture to that of the plant-based beef. They also bring an extra layer of flavor to the meatballs—I particularly love the umami earthiness coming from the mushrooms. When you bite into these meatballs, you would have no idea there are an extra 1-2 cups of veggies inside.
Since switching over to plant-based “beef” for my meatballs, I’ve been pan frying them in olive oil to get a nice crisp on the outsides, rather than baking them. Both cooking methods work great, but I love the flavor that comes from the browned crust that forms while turning the meatballs every few minutes when pan frying. Plus, it allows me to finish them in sauce! What’s your favorite way to cook meatballs? Let me know in the comments!
Wondering what I meant by the freedom of plant-based eating? Shoot me a message and I can explain exactly what I mean!