Vegetarian "Meatballs" And Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Having been raised in an Italian family, pasta and meatballs has always been one of my favorite inexpensive yet filling family meals. Now that we are older, wiser, and making a huge effort to reduce our consumption of animal proteins and fast-acting carbs, I needed to find a better way. This recipe is a delicious and just as comforting substitute for our beloved old calorie-laden dish. Please use homemade sauce if possible to reassure your family that not all of our traditional favorites are bad for us!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil spray

3 Tblsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

2 large shallot minced

1 med-lg eggplant peeled and finely diced

2 portobella mushroom caps finely diced

3-4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

handful of parsley chopped

1 tsp sea salt

3 Tblsp fresh oregano chopped

2 large eggs slightly beaten

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

1 cup italian sausage style veggie crumbles or 2 links chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

8 cups prepared pasta sauce, heated (preferably homemade)

2 fresh spaghetti squash

Recipe serves 4-6 depending on appetite.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half and place four halves cut side down in a large roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Roast for 1 hour, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

While squash is roasting heat 3 Tblsp oil in a large non-stick skillet with a cover or dutch oven. Cook garlic and shallot over med heat until golden. Add eggplant and mushrooms, toss, cover, reduce heat to low and steam veggies in their own juices until soft (about 10 -14 minutes). Stir once or twice during cooking. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Wipe skillet and set aside.

Combine 3 cups of the bread crumbs (using remaining 1 cup later if needed), parsley, oregano, salt, eggs and cheese in a large bowl. Stir in cooled eggplant and sausage crumbles. Let sit 20 minutes to absorb moisture. The amount of bread crumbs needed will be determined by the amount of water in the vegetables. Add enough extra crumbs to barely form a soft sticky ball.

Heat 1/2 cup oil over med-high heat in a large frying pan. Form egg sized balls and fry gently in vegetable oil until browned on all sides. Add to sauce and simmer on low, stirring very carefully/occasionally for 15-20, or place in a casserole, cover with sauce and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12.

While veggieballs are cooking in sauce, scrape squash from shell with a fork into long, spaghetti-like strings. Place in wire colander for 15 minutes then press lightly with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture. Gently reheat in oven, microwave or skillet. Serve with sauce and veggieballs.

*Note: Leftover veggieballs are delicious the next day as a cold sandwich or as a pizza topping!