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Mushroom Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

This meatball recipe skips the usual breadcrumbs, eggs, and even meat! Instead, we’re making meatballs with mushrooms—Oh, and you’ll need a juicer. The juicer removes excess water from the mushrooms, preventing the meatballs from falling apart. The remaining mushroom pulp gets mixed with chestnuts, herbs, and spices, rolled into balls, and baked. The result? Flavorful mushroom meatballs perfect for appetizers, pasta, or sandwiches!

Meatballs:

6 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 cup whole roasted and peeled chestnuts (see note)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup onion, finely minced
1 celery stick, finely minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Marinara Sauce (Optional):

Mushroom juice (extracted from the mushroom for the meatballs)
2 cups jarred or canned crushed tomatoes
6 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup diced onion
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder

Special Equipment:

Juicer

Instructions

Juicing the Mushrooms:

Start by juicing your mushrooms to extract the juice and leave us with just the pulp. If you’re making the optional marinara sauce below, set the mushroom juice aside for later use.

2. Creating the Meatball Mixture:

Transfer the mushroom pulp to a blender or food processor. Add the chestnuts, onion, tomato paste, celery, garlic, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and sea salt. Pulse-blend the mixture until it reaches a coarse consistency. If you’re using a blender, pause occasionally to scrape down the sides.

3. Baking the Meatballs:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If using an air fryer, no preheating is required.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you’re using a non-stick ceramic baking sheet you can skip the parchment paper.

Form the meatball mixture into 8-10 medium-sized meatballs using your hands, and place them in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes. If using an air fryer, bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Optional Marinara Sauce:

In a saucepan, combine all the marinara sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Serving:

Remove the meatballs from the oven. Plate the mushroom meatballs and pour the marinara sauce over them just before serving. Garnish with optional freshly chopped basil. Keep the meatballs and marinara sauce separate until serving to ensure the meatballs stay intact.

Makes 8-10 meatballs

Notes: