Chickpea Meatballs

Oh hey, it's me, the somewhat negligent blogger here at Petit Gateau... I'm sure you remember me.  The recipe I'm sharing with you today is one I had to make just hours after I saw it.  Usually when I find recipes that suit my tastes, I copy the link, dog-ear the page, or store their location somewhere in the back of my head (though that last one doesn't always work).  I hardly ever see something that I have the motivation (and ingredients) to make the very same night, but Chickpea Meatballs?  I was hooked. 

I've experimented with meatless versions of recipes that have the word meat in the title before: see"Meat"loaf, which by the way turned out wonderfully.  I ended up really liking these "meat"balls, too.  Although I think mine may have dried out a bit, so make sure, as the recipe says, not to over bake them.  Also, the sauce is very key here (especially if you over-bake yours like I did) so make sure you have one you like.  Alone, I thought the meatballs were a touch bland, but with the sauce, some extra fresh basil, and a bit of Parmigiana cheese on top, they were a great healthy comfort food.

Chickpea Meatballs
These could probably be made vegan by subbing in 2 flax eggs and nutritional yeast instead of Parmigiana cheese. If you decide to try out a vegan version, I'd love to know how it turns out!
Makes about 18 meatballs
Adapted, slightly, from linden & rosemary

1 can chickpeas, drained and thoroughly mashed (I use a fork but food processor would be magic)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 a yellow onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
heaping 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped, plus more for serving
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat if you have them)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiana cheese, plus more for serving
Lots of cracked black pepper
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil

your favorite pasta sauce, for serving [my favorite jarred sauces: Rao's (splurge), Newman's Own Sookarooni (budget)]

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Combine all the ingredients (except for olive oil and sauce) in a large bowl. Ingredients should be well mixed and you should not see any whole chickpeas. Roll right away or refrigerate until ready to use.

Roll generous tablespoons of the mixture in your hands to create balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle tops with a tiny bit of olive oil. Bake for 22-24 minutes until the meatballs are lightly browned on the outside (don’t overcook or they will dry out).

While the meatballs are baking, heat the tomato sauce in a large pot, covered, on medium heat.

Making sure the sauce is hot and slightly bubbling. You can then put the meatballs into the sauce and stir them gently until well coated or serve them separately, as I did.