These Zucchini “Meatballs” in Spanish-Style Onion Sauce are filled with flavors, easy to make and done in a little over 30 minutes. Serve them next to some roasted potatoes and a bottle of Spanish wine from La Rioja for a delicious meal.
To make this recipe, I left the skins on the zucchini. As it adds more nutrients and flavors. But if you prefer, you can peel the zucchini. Either way, once you shred the zucchini, make sure to salt it, let it rest for 5 minutes and then push down on the zucchini. This will remove any of the excess water in the zucchini.
What flavors this dish is the onion sauce. Made with just olive oil, onion, garlic, flour, white wine, thyme and broth. Important to use a great olive oil here, as it’s the base fat of the dish and what truly gives it that lift of goodness.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The secret to this recipe is to ensure the zucchini mixture is well-binded. That way, the meatballs don´t fall apart. Once you have the mixture ready, make sure to squeeze it in your hands before shaping the meatballs. If you see it´s too wet, add more bread crumbs until you reach the desired texture.
Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY COOKWARE
MY CHEF´S KNIFE
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
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Watch the Video Below on How to Make Zucchini “Meatballs” in Spanish-Style in Onion Sauce
Zucchini "Meatballs" in Spanish-Style Onion Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS
- 2 zucchinis 7 inches / 18 cm in length each
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 60 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 8 grams
- sea salt & black pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour 60 grams
FOR THE ONION SAUCE
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour 8 grams
- 1/2 cup dry white wine 120 ml
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme .50 grams
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 360 ml
- sea salt & black pepper
EXTRAS
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 grams
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Using a box grater, finely shred the zucchini, then add the shredded zucchini into a colander with a bowl underneath, season with sea salt and let it sit
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After 5 minutes, using a large wooden spoon, push down on the zucchini to remove any excess water, remove as much of the water in the zucchini as possible
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Transfer the zucchini into a large bowl, along with the bread crumbs, crack in the egg, add in the shallot, garlic, parsley and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then push down on the mixture until you get a paste-like texture
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To shape the meatballs, grab a spoonful of the mixture and squeeze it in your hands, then shape it into a ball, about the size of a golf ball, if your mixture is too wet to work with, add more bread crumbs, if it's too dry, and in some whisked egg, once they are all assembled, coat each one in flour
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Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
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After a couple of minutes add in the zucchini meatballs, all in a single layer, fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden fried all around, then remove from the pan and set aside
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Using the same pan with the same heat, make the onion sauce, add in the chopped onion and garlic, mix continuously, after 2 to 3 minutes and the onion is translucent, add in the flour, mix continuously, after 2 minutes add in the white wine, dried thyme and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and then simmer
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After 3 minutes and the alcohol has been cooked off in the wine, slowly add in the vegetable broth while mixing continuously, once all the broth has been added and you have a slightly creamy sauce, add the zucchini meatballs back into the pan, then gently flip each one so they're fully coated in the sauce, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes
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Transfer the zucchini meatballs into serving dishes, top off with the onion sauce and some chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Get the Spanish Olive Oil I used to make this Recipe
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