gluten-free, vegetarian
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced ½” thick rounds
3 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 egg
2 tbsp basil
1 tempeh
2 jars of arrabiata sauce (such as Rao’s)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425˚.
Place eggplant on parchment baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil.Roast for 35 minutes.
In a food processor combine eggplant, Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, basil and tempeh. Process until mostly smooth. Roll into ½” “meatballs”.
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add eggplant/tempeh balls. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side.
Place “meatballs” in a slow cooker with arrabiata sauce and allow to cook for 2-3 hours.
The balls will fall apart, leaving some chunks and some balls.
Serve with pasta of choice.
Tempeh: made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is an easily digestible source of plant protein. While tofu is a more popular soy product, we like tempeh not only because it’s fermented, but because it’s less processed.