PUMPKIN SEED CANELLINI MEATBALLS WITH COURGETTE SPAGHETTI

PUMPKIN SEED CANELLINI MEATBALLS WITH COURGETTE SPAGHETTI

By  onegreenplanet.org - Ida Hemmingsson-Holl

The Meatballs:

110g/¾ cup pumpkins seeds, soaked in hot water for at least ten minutes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp oregano

2 cans Cannellini beans, well rinsed

1 tsp. Salt

Tomato Sauce:

2 – 3 tbsp. olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1.5 tbsp. thyme

1.5 tbsp. oregano

Approx. 10 leaves fresh basil

8 large tomatoes (ideally the dark red, juicy kind), chopped into large chunks

7 ounces tomato paste

240ml/1 cup red wine

360ml/1.5 cup water, more if needed

2 tbsp raw honey

1 tsp salt

Courgette Spaghetti:

3 medium sized courgettes (more if your guests are hungry)

Place the pumpkin seeds in hot water and turn the oven to 200/100C.  In a frying pan, add the olive oil, the red onion, the garlic, the thyme and the oregano. Leave on low heat while occasionally stirring until the onions start to soften. Then remove the water from the pumpkin seeds, and add those and the well-rinsed Cannellini beans. Increase the heat and fry for a minute or two while stirring.  Remove the pan from the stove and blend it all together thoroughly using a hand mixer. It will be very sticky, perfect to immediately form small meatballs. Add a baking paper to a baking tray on which you place the meatballs. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes (depends on oven and size of meatballs so keep a close eye, and roll them around a few times to get them a little crunchy on all sides). You can make these the day or two before and keep in the fridge.

The Sauce:

Add the olive oil to a pan and bring to medium heat. Add the garlic and the herbs and fry while stirring for a minute or two before adding the rest of the ingredients. Let it boil for at least 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have become soft enough to blend in with the rest of the sauce. Ten minutes before serving, taste, and adjust the flavour with more salt, thyme, oregano, red wine, honey etc. Add more water (and red wine) throughout cooking if needed to get to the right consistency.

Courgette Spaghetti

Make spaghetti out of well washed courgette using a mandolin, spiralizer or even a potato peeler.