Meatfree Mushroom Meatballs

PREP TIME: 20 Min

COOK TIME: 35 Min

SERVES: 4

Meatfree Mushroom Meatballs
  • 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
  • 250g Meadow White Button or Small Portabello Mushrooms, very finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 150g spinach leaves
  • olive oil
  • 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Italian herbs
  • 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (we used Vogels)
  • 170g feta
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • big handful of basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup olives, pitted & halved
  • parmesan cheese to serve
  • 300g spaghetti

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190 ̊C.
  2. Prep breadcrumbs, dice onions and mushrooms and crush garlic.
  3. Wash spinach and place into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and stand for 1 minute or until wilted.
  4. Tip out the boiling water and pour over some cold water. Drain. Then using your hands, squeeze all the liquid from the spinach, until it’s the size of a small ball. Then finely chop.
  5. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Then add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms start to brown. Transfer to a large bowl and cool.
  6. In a large baking dish, pour in the chopped tomatoes and Italian herbs.
  7. Add spinach, breadcrumbs, crumbled feta, egg, parmesan cheese, chopped basil, salt and pepper to onion mushroom mixture. Stir until well combined.
  8. Roll mushroom mixture into golf-ball sized balls and place onto the tomato base. Sprinkle with extra cheese and olives.
  9. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
  10. While the balls are baking, cook the pasta as per the packet and serve on the side.

Top Tip:

For a milder mushroom flavour, use white buttons.  For an earthier, richer flavour, use portabellos large or small.

MADE WITH

White Button Mushrooms
White Button
Small Portabello Mushrooms
Small Portabello