Italian Tofu 'Meatballs'

On Monday, I had planned to make a big dinner. A warm, comforting, cold-killing dinner that would also invite Z back home from snowboarding with a wonderful aroma. But by the time I got home from work, I wanted nothing more than a box of tissues and some orange juice. My motivation for cooking had died.

However, I did a good amount of recipe searching on Monday in preparation for the dinner, and had stumbled upon a recipe for tofu "meatballs." We had a package of tofu in our refrigerator, and all of the other ingredients that the recipe called for. So, when Z and I got back from work last night, we decided to make them (for full disclosure, Z did most of the work).

Italian Tofu Meatballs
Yields: 6 meatballs
Adapted slightly from Cooks.com
-1 lb. firm tofu
-1/4 onion, diced

-1/4 tsp. oregano
-Salt and black pepper, to taste
-Dash of garlic powder
-1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
-1 egg
-1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Marinara sauce (we used vodka sauce from Trader Joe's)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice tofu and drain well. 

2.) In a large bowl, combine tofu, onion, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Mix well with a fork, mashing to blend ingredients. Shape mixture into balls, squeezing tightly.

3.) Place meatballs in a single layer in a shallow baking pan that has been lightly oiled.
4.) Spoon desired sauce over meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Before:

After:

Happiness, in a "meatball."

Serve with your choice of pasta (and more sauce...and more cheese).

I'm usually not a fan of tofu-turned-into-meat-things, but this is one recipe I will be keeping. The meatballs didn't taste fake to me at all - the seasonings in this recipe really helped the meatballs to taste like...well, meatballs. The texture is much softer and more fragile, but that's expected with tofu. 

If you're looking to eat healthier, eat less meat, or just try something new, I highly recommend making these meatballs.

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