Penne with Mushroom “Meatballs”

PENNE WITH “MEATLESS” MUSHROOM MEATBALLS

• 1 16-ounce bag of a whole grain or bean-based penne (whole wheat, lentil, quinoa, black bean, brown rice, etc).
• 1 jar of marinara sauce (or home made) or pesto
• 1 batch of Mushroom “Meatballs” (recipe below)
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

• Make the mushroom meatballs (recipe below)
• Cook the penne according to instructions on the box
• Pour the marinara sauce over the pasta and mix well to coat
• Top each dish with 3 meatballs
• Add fresh chopped parsley to each pasta dish and serve immediately

MUSHROOM MEATBALLS  (Yields approximately 18 meatballs, serves 4-6)

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (if frying)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cups (16 ounces) mushrooms (Bella, Cremini, Portobella with stems removed and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and minced finely
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (whole grain is best)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup whole grain or gluten-free flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled

DIRECTIONS

• Add the cooked brown rice, flour, basil, Italian Seasoning, hot pepper flakes, and bread crumbs to your food processor
• Add the avocado oil to a non-stick skillet and heat to medium
• Sauté onions for 6 minutes until translucent
• Add the garlic to the onions and cook for 2 minutes
• Remove the onions and garlic from the heat and add to the food processor.
• Place the skillet back on the burner and turn the heat to high
• Sautee the mushrooms for 5 minutes until they brown
• Remove the mushrooms from heat and add to the mixture in the food processor
• Turn the food processor on for 15 seconds. Scrape the sides and process again for about 15 seconds
• Cover the mixture with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours
• Shape the mixture into round apricot-sized balls and place on a piece of parchment paper – this should yield 18 “meatballs”
• Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat on medium

• When the oil is hot, add the meatballs to the skillet. Use a spoon turn them every 3 minutes to brown all the sides. and all surfaces are cooked. The outside should be dark brown. The total cooking time is about 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs and drain on a paper towel.

• Alternatively, bake the meatballs on a sheet of parchment paper for 15 minutes at 350 F