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zucchini meatballs on plate with tomato sauce and cheese on table.

Meatless Zucchini "Meatballs"

Hearty meatless meatballs made with zucchini and ricotta cheese, served with a San Marzano tomato sauce.

Course Appetizer/Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword meatballs, vegetarian, zucchini
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Author Adapted from Chef Gerson Jossue Rivas Saravia

Ingredients

For the Zucchini Meatballs

  • 14 ounces fresh zucchini
  • 7 ounces fresh ricotta
  • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Sunflower oil for frying

For the San Marzano Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch dried red chili pepper
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 28 ounces San Marzano DOP tomatoes (canned)

Instructions

For the Zucchini Meatballs

  1. Grate the zucchini using a grater with large holes. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and let it sit for 15-20 minutes to drain the excess liquid. Then squeeze the excess liquid out.

  2. Combined the (squeezed) grated zucchini with the ricotta, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and salt and pepper.

  3. Form the mixture into golf ball-sized balls, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze the meatballs for about 30 minutes.

  4. Remove the semi-frozen meatballs and heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan. Cook the meatballs until they are evenly golden brown and crispy; then remove and drain on a paper towel before serving with the sauce.

For the San Marzano Tomato Sauce

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and chili pepper, and saute until the onion is translucent.

  2. Crush the San Marzano tomatoes with a fork or by hand, then add to the saucepan. Cook for about 20 minutes, adding a little water if needed. Serve with hot zucchini meatballs.