Aubergine and quinoa ‘meatballs’ with tomato sauce

Name: Aubergine and quinoa ‘meatballs’ with tomato sauce
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 185 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup red wine; 2 tbsp olive oil; flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 x 400 g/14 oz tins chopped tomatoes; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar; 4 tbsp chia seeds; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 50 g/1¾ oz pitted black olives, finely chopped; 50 g/1¾ oz parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent, plus extra to serve; flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; cooked spaghetti or other pasta, to serve; cooked spaghetti or other pasta, to serve; small handful basil leaves; 1 onion, finely chopped; olive oil; 100 g/3½ oz quinoa; 50 g/1¾ oz parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent, plus extra to serve; 75 g/2½ oz breadcrumbs; 2 medium–large aubergines (eggplants) (approx. 650g/1 lb 7 oz), chopped into small dice (approx. 5mm/¼ inch); 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
2 hr

Appears in

The Flexible Vegetarian

By Jo Pratt

Published 2017

About

These look and (almost) taste like traditional meatballs – they will surprise anyone who eats them when they realise they are completely meat free. I like to serve these with a homemade tomato pasta sauce, plenty of spaghetti and shavings of parmesan, but they also work as a canapé (skewered with a cocktail stick and with a tomato sauce to dip into), or wrapped in flatbread with salad and garlic mayo.

Ingredients

Pasta
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Method