Baked Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Red Pepper Pasta
These baked vegan eggplant meatballs are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with Mediterranean flavors. Served with a creamy roasted red pepper tahini sauce, this comforting and wholesome dish includes gluten-free and oil-free options!
Ingredients
Eggplant Meatballs
- 1 eggplant 1.5 lb globe eggplant or equivalent
- 1 cup walnuts raw or roasted
- ¾ cup parsley leaves packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup breadcrumbs use gluten-free panko to keep GF
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3-4 tablespoon aquafaba or other vegan egg replacer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional, helps hold shape
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe
- 2 red bell peppers*
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
For Serving
- 8-10 oz spaghetti pasta I use brown rice and quinoa spaghetti to keep this dish GF
- ¼ cup pine nuts for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, and place it skin-side up on the sheet. Add the 2 red bell peppers to the same sheet to roast for the sauce.1 eggplant, 2 red bell peppers*
- Remove the eggplant after 18-20 minutes, until tender but not too soft. Leave the bell peppers to roast for another 10-15 minutes, until charred. Once done, cover the peppers with foil and set aside to cool.
- Chop the roasted eggplant into chunks and place them in a strainer to drain any excess water for 5-10 mins.
- Prepare the meatball mixture. In a food processor, pulse walnuts, parsley, and garlic for a few seconds, until crumbly.1 cup walnuts, ¾ cup parsley leaves, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the drained eggplant, breadcrumbs, aquafaba, salt, and olive oil (if using) to the food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, until just combined. Avoid over-processing, or the mixture will be harder to shape. The mixture will be soft but should not fall apart. If the mixture is too soft, you can chill it for 15-20 mins in the fridge or add an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs. If it seems dry, add another tablespoon of aquafaba.1 eggplant, 1 cup breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 3-4 tablespoon aquafaba, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Lower the oven heat to 415F. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the eggplant mixture, shape into balls, and place them onto the sheet. A mini, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop helps ensure uniform size. You should end up with about 20 meatballs.
- Bake the eggplant balls for 30-33 minutes, until browned and firm outside, but tender inside.
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. I brought a pot of salted water to a boil and cooked my pasta for about 10 minutes, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.8-10 oz spaghetti pasta
- Prepare the roasted red pepper sauce. Peel the skin off of the roasted peppers, and remove the core, seeds, and stem. Blend roasted peppers, tahini, lemon juice, milk, garlic, salt, and paprika in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.**2 red bell peppers*, ¼ cup tahini, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup non-dairy milk, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Dry-toast the pine nuts in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they just begin to brown.¼ cup pine nuts
- Assemble the pasta. Toss the pasta with the red pepper tahini sauce, thinning with reserved pasta water as needed. Serve topped with the eggplant meatballs, toasted pine nuts, and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
*You can alternatively just use 2 jarred roasted bell peppers.
**See notes on how to make roasted red pepper sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 746kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 22gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 808mgPotassium: 921mgFiber: 11gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2976IUVitamin C: 100mgCalcium: 170mgIron: 5mg
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