Baked Pumpkin Meatballs

Baked pumpkin meatballs are a delicious and light dish, perfect for those who want to enjoy pumpkin in a different way. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of pumpkin (already cleaned and peeled)
• 100 g of breadcrumbs
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• Chopped parsley (as needed)
• Salt (as needed)
• Pepper (as needed)
• Nutmeg (a pinch, optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the pumpkin into pieces and bake it or boil it until soft. You can also steam it to preserve all its nutrients.
3. Once cooked, mash the pumpkin with a fork or use a potato masher to obtain a puree.
4. In a large bowl, put the pumpkin puree and add the egg, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well until you have a homogeneous mixture. If it is too moist, you can add a bit more breadcrumbs until you get the desired consistency.
5. With damp hands, form balls of the desired size and then flatten them slightly to give them the shape of meatballs.
6. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with a stream of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Bake the meatballs for about 20-25 minutes or until they are golden and crispy on the surface.
8. Serve the baked pumpkin meatballs hot.

Curiosity

Baked pumpkin meatballs can also be personalized in various ways: you can add different aromatic herbs to the mix as you like, such as chopped sage which pairs very well with pumpkin, or you can add some diced cheese inside each meatball for a melting heart. Another variant could be the addition of sautéed onions or garlic for a more intense flavor.