Courgetti and veggie meatballs
Serves 4
Cook time 1 hour
Prep time 25 minutes
SmartPoints per serving 1
INGREDIENTS
| Calorie controlled cooking spray |
| 1 red onion, finely sliced |
| 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced |
| 2 large cans cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed |
| 50g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs |
| 1 egg, beaten |
| 1 tbsp smoked paprika |
| 1/2 tbsp tomato puree |
| 1/2 tbsp dried oregano |
| 4 courgettes, spiralised |
| 10 fresh basil leaves, to garnish |
| Calorie controlled cooking spray |
| 1 red onion, finely diced |
| 2 garlic cloves, crushed |
| 5 large tomatoes, chopped |
| 1 large can chopped tomatoes |
| 1 tbsp dried oregano |
| 1 bay leaf |
| 1 tbsp tomato puree |
| 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes |
| 1 tsp balsamic vinegar |
METHOD
1 To make the sauce, mist a large pan with cooking spray and fry the onion over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure it doesn’t burn.
2 Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, tomato puree, chilli flakes and balsamic vinegar. Season, add a splash of water and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring regularly, and adding more water if it gets too thick.
3 Meanwhile, make the veggie meatballs. Mist a small frying pan with cooking spray and fry the red onion and pepper over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Set aside to cool.
4 Blitz the kidney beans with the breadcrumbs, egg, paprika and tomato purée in a food processor until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the onion and pepper, and the oregano. Season well.
5 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Shape the bean mixture into 12 equal balls and bake for 30-40 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.
6 Around 5 minutes before the meatballs are done, heat a large frying pan misted with cooking spray over a high heat. Add the spiralised courgette, season, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until just softened.
7 Stir the tomato sauce through the courgette and divide between 4 plates. Top with 3 veggie meatballs per person and serve garnished with the basil.