Gluten-free Zucchini Pasta Spaghetti with No-Meat Balls

I hope you’re hungry! 

I have a great recipe to share with you that me any my family have been raving over!

I love a delicious comfort-food meal that is also healthy and easy to make. And so of course I really wanted some good-old Spaghetti and Meatballs. Except it’s no-meat Balls in this case because it’s just way better this way! Trust me ;)

 

These No-Meat Balls are not only fully vegetarian and vegan, they are also gluten-free and very nutritious. And yes, they have lots of protein. The star ingredient in them is my favourite ingredient of all… Naosap Wild Rice!

I like serving them on a bed of gluten-free spaghetti pasta mixed with zucchini noodles. Together this combination is still very hearty and delicious yet has a nice little crunch and freshness from the zucchini – perfect for a Spring version of your favourite meal. Zucchini noodles are a big deal lately – but pasta lovers can rest easy that they still get their comfort-food on a plate… but healthier, with a portion of veggies, and no gluten! 

 

 

Gluten-free Zucchini Pasta Spaghetti with No-Meat Balls made with Naosap Wild Rice | gluten-free and vegan

serves 4, prep time : about 45 minutes

Ingredients for the Wild Rice No-Meat Balls :

as always, choose organic as much as possible

1/3 cup Naosap Wild Rice (1 cup cooked)
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
3/4 cups chopped mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon  dried thyme
1-2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 – 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper 
grape seed oil for cooking
about 1/3 cup chickpea flour for coating

additional ingredients :

1/2 package gluten-free rice pasta 
3 medium sized zucchinis
4 tomatoes + Italian seasoning such as basil, oregano, salt and pepper
OR your favourite dairy free Margherita sauce
fresh herbs for topping such as basil or fresh thyme (I used thyme)

You will also need : food processor, 1 large pot for boiling pasta, 1 large cast iron pan for cooking the balls, julienned peeler or spiralizer for the zucchini, additional small pot for tomato sauce (if making your own).

Directions :

1. First, set the Naosap Wild Rice to a boil as per directions. Wild Rice triples in volume, so to get 1 cup of cooked rice, set 1/3 cup of rice to a boil is lightly salted water. (This is great to do the night before as the wild rice takes about 45 minutes to cook).

2. Set a large pot to boil the gluten-free spaghetti pasta as per directions. Once cooked, strain on a colander and drizzle with EVOO and mix well. cover in the pot to keep warm.

3. If making your own tomato sauce, which I did. Simply, cut the washed tomatoes into large chunks, drizzle some grape seed oil onto a small pot, and cook the tomatoes with the seasoning on medium heat, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. If they stick to the pot, add a little bit of water to prevent sticking and burning. Total cooking time should be about 5-10 minutes. Cover and turn off heat. Set aside.

4. Wash all the vegetables and cut as directed above.

5. In a large saucepan, sautee the onion and carrots until they start to soften, add in mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

6. In a food processor, combine all the other ingredients, including the cooled cooked wild rice, vegetables and seasoning. Process to make a crumbly mixture. Be sure to turn off the mixer half way through and scrape down the sides to get all the ingredients evenly processed. All the ingredients are safe to eat, so it’s best to try a little of the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking at this point. Remove from the food processor onto a bowl so it’s easier to scoop from, or just remove the blade and get ready to make some balls!

7. On a large plate, spread out some chickpea flour. Scoop some of the dough, about a golf ball size, onto the palm of your hand and roll to make a ball. Then roll in the chickpea flour and dust off some of the extra flour that may stick on.

8. Heat a large cast iron pan on medium heat with grape seed oil. Cook the no-meat balls rolling them around every minute or so. Don’t roll too soon as the balls might stick to the pan if they’re not cooked on that side yet. You’re looking for a little golden colour before you roll them to another side.

9. Meanwhile, as your balls are cooking, you can use the spiralizer or julienned peeler to cut the zucchini into noodles.

10. Just before serving, toss the zucchini noodles with the gluten-free pasta and plate as a base on serving plates. Add homemade tomato sauce or Margharita sauce then top with the Wild Rice No-Meat Balls. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as thyme or basil. Serve and enjoy!

This is a great gluten-free and vegan meatball recipe that has fresh flavours and a clean lightness to it. Omitting or eating less meat and wheat is really fantastic for your body and wellbeing. You don’t need a special diet necessarily to change things up – besides, it’s just fun to freshen up the menu for Spring… especially when it’s turning your old favourite Spaghetti and Meatballs into a fantastic Gluten-free Zucchini Pasta Spaghetti with No-Meat Balls! Hello awesome dinner!!! ;) 

 

I stopped eating meat about 6 years ago and love it. But my husband is a meat-eater and there’s a lot of mixed dishes happening at our house. But it’s always great when I make a vegetarian/ vegan meal that kind of ‘fools’ him ;)

I don’t lie as he knows there’s no meat in those no-meat balls, because I eat them – but it’s great to see him enjoying a dish that is familiar to him. I don’t aim to convert anyone, not even him – but I do like it when he’s eating healthier and adding in those good-for-you foods whenever possible. This was a win win dinner, even for him! ;) 

Of course, the ingredient that makes these No-Meat Balls possible is the Naosap Wild Rice! It must be my top favourite ingredient in the kitchen. I actually cook double the batch of the wild rice as is in this recipe and then throw it into a salad the next day or serve to my kiddo. She is a 6 year old that asks for wild rice! Here is a pic of her enjoying another dish with Naosap Wild Rice.

I’m happy to once again share with you the great nutrition of Naosap Harvest Wild Rice! 

I love great fabulous REAL food that is loaded with nutrition and completely *pure* and natural. And Naosap Wild Rice is Canadian grown, organic and NON-GMO. And it is harvested from the organic and non-gmo farms of Naosap Harvest, a family owned and operated operation in Manitoba, Canada.

I love the versatility, heartiness, great nutrition and great taste of it. It’s probably my favourite pantry staple and I enjoy it plain as a side dish or getting creative with it – like I did with the No-Meat Loaf last time.

This rice is also a great buy because only 1/2 cup uncooked rice – triples in size and makes 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice! It pops when cooked, kind of like popcorn would and you get great rustic texture in each grain. I like that, I like when food has a little imperfection to it and has a hearty rustic ‘real’ look and feel… and did I mention it’s naturally loaded with protein…? Here’s the full nutrition info for Naosap Wild Rice:

NAOSAP HARVEST WILD RICE NUTRITION INFO

7g of protein in a 1/4 cup
3 grams of fibre
6% of your daily iron
rich in B vitamins
gluten-free
certified Non-GMO
and certified organic

So much nutrition in little grains of organic wild rice! I love when food is REAL and naturally grown as Mother Nature intended. Compeltely organic and NON-GMO. It feels good to know you are serving the best to you and your family ;) This is a sponsored post. Thank you for supporting *pure* companies I believe in! ;)

 

♥

Pure Ella 

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