I’m truly hooked on meatballs now! The more I make them, the more I invent new and extravagant ones… all of them are delicious, by the way, and I invite you to check out my blog section dedicated to meatballs by clicking HERE! But these, born by chance, are among the most successful! Just telling the story makes me laugh, because a few days ago, I was trying to recreate an old recipe upon my husband’s request, the cabbage rolls with tuna and potatoes, and decided to experiment with an alternative by replacing potatoes with pumpkin (which turned out great!). But since I had overdone the quantities, after making and baking the rolls, I still had quite a bit of filling left! To myself, since we don’t waste anything in my house and even recycle peels, I convinced myself that the consistency was just right to make some good oven-baked meatballs. And here is a brand-new recipe to share with you because I swear if you love cabbage like I do, these meatballs are an easy, quick, and light second course, benefiting both health, because they’re not fried, and palate, because they’re tasty and delightful! You can also make them for an informal appetizer or as finger food at a buffet! So, what are you waiting for?

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very economical
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 20 meatballs
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cabbage
10.5 oz Pumpkin
1 Potato
1 Egg
5.6 oz Canned tuna
5.3 oz Sweet provolone cheese
5 tbsps Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
to taste Breadcrumbs
to taste Nutmeg
1 sprig Rosemary
to taste Extra virgin olive oil
to taste Salt

Preparation:

Wash the cabbage leaves under running water, drain them with a vegetable spinner, then cut them into julienne strips. Sauté in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes over low heat, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary. (fig. 1).
When the cabbage appears cooked, drain the excess water, adjust the salt, add pepper, and turn off the heat (fig. 2).
Pour the sautéed cabbage into a large bowl. In the meantime, boil the potato and pumpkin in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain them and while still hot, mash them with a potato masher and add them to the cooked cabbage (fig. 3).
Cut the sweet provolone cheese into cubes and add it to the mixture. Also add the well-drained tuna, the egg, half of the grated parmesan, the chopped rosemary, and the nutmeg. Adjust salt and pepper. Mix the mixture evenly (fig. 4).
Mix everything with a fork until you get a homogeneous mixture. With always well-moistened hands, take small portions of the mixture and form meatballs slightly larger than a walnut (fig. 5).
Arrange the meatballs obtained this way in a baking dish lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking tray brushed with oil and drizzle them with a little more oil before baking (fig. 6).
Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for about 25 minutes, then turn them, lower the temperature to 356°F and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot. And voilà… the pumpkin, cabbage, and tuna meatballs are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!