Sicilian Cauliflower 'Meatball' Recipe
Sicilian cauliflower meatballs are crisp, with a soft and creamy texture on the inside and delicious cheesy flavor! These vegetarian meatballs are tasty either fried or baked and can be served as an appetizer; side or vegetarian main dish.
Servings 17 meatballs
Calories 94kcal
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower about 500 grams
- ½ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 10 tbsp. Pecorino romano cheese or a combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano cheeses, grated
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup parsley freshly chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dredging
For frying
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the cauliflower
- Separate the cauliflower into florets and rinse well.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Drain well, transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Assemble the meatballs
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the cauliflower. Do not processor until completely smooth or mushy, you want the cauliflower to retain some texture.
- Stir in all remaining ingredients (except for flour for dredging and oil for frying). If the mixture is too soft or wet stir in additional breadcrumbs as needed.
- Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop the mixture and shape into slightly flattened round or oval meatballs. Dredge all sides in flour, shaking off excess flour.
To fry
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs a few at a time (without overcrowding the pan) until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations
-This recipe also works well with broccoli.
-For a gluten free version, try replacing the breadcrumbs with almond meal. Bake instead of frying: Preheat oven at 425 degrees F and generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the meatballs. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, flipping halfway through baking. To Serve Serve as antipasto (they are also tasty at room temperature!); as a side or vegetarian main dish. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degrees F oven until hot. To Freeze Wrap well with parchment paper separating layers of meatballs and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator and bake on a greased baking sheet until hot.
-For a gluten free version, try replacing the breadcrumbs with almond meal. Bake instead of frying: Preheat oven at 425 degrees F and generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the meatballs. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, flipping halfway through baking. To Serve Serve as antipasto (they are also tasty at room temperature!); as a side or vegetarian main dish. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degrees F oven until hot. To Freeze Wrap well with parchment paper separating layers of meatballs and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator and bake on a greased baking sheet until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1mg
