A simple and complete one-dish meal, the chickpea and puntarelle meatballs have a unique flavor because they’re coated in chopped hazelnuts.
About puntarelle — yes, you read that right — do you use them in the kitchen too? They aren’t common, but at the end of winter the season for catalogna chicory begins.
Puntarelle are the shoots of catalogna chicory; inside the head you’ll find the stalks, the white tips similar to asparagus, slightly bitter and excellent raw in salad.
For these little meatballs I used the outer leaves of the puntarelle, which are still very tender after a quick blanch and a sauté in the pan.
I’ll remove the stalks — the internal white tips — wash them thoroughly and cut them into thin strips. Then immerse them in ice water with a little lemon for even up to a night; they become crunchier and curl a bit. They almost look like little asparagus to enjoy in a salad.
Back to our chickpea and puntarelle meatballs, which are gluten-free and truly addictive. I recommend serving them simply with a plate of raw vegetables.
In this case I sautéed the little meatballs in a pan with a drizzle of oil. If you prefer, you can bake them, lightly spraying with extra virgin olive oil so they don’t dry out too much, or traditionally you can deep-fry them in plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
If you like meatballs, also try these:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring
Ingredients for Chickpea and Puntarelle Meatballs
- 3.5 oz puntarelle
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch sea salt
- black pepper
- 1 7/8 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest (finely grated)
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts (chopped)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Cutting board
- 3 Bowls
Steps for Chickpea and Puntarelle Meatballs
First, cook the chickpeas the way you usually do, or rinse very well the pre-cooked ones from a jar (make sure they contain only water and salt).
Remove the outer leaves of the puntarelle and chop them into pieces. Save the heart of the puntarelle for other preparations.
Wash them well and drain. Bring slightly salted water to a boil and when it boils add the puntarelle for 10 minutes. Turn off when tender, then drain and squeeze very well.In a pan add a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic, heat the oil and then add the puntarelle. Stir, let them absorb flavor and dry for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, put the hazelnuts in a blender and grind them into a flour. Remove half of the ground hazelnuts from the blender and set aside — that will be the coating.
Put the chickpeas with the remaining hazelnut flour into the blender, add a pinch of salt, a drizzle of oil, the grated lemon zest to season, and blend well.
Add the cooked puntarelle and give it another blend. Adjust salt and pepper and check that the mixture is perfect for shaping the meatballs.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. On a cutting board spread the remaining chopped hazelnuts, form small meatballs with your hands and roll them in the hazelnuts.
Add another drizzle of oil to the pan where you sautéed the puntarelle, leave the clove of garlic you used, heat the oil and gently place the meatballs to brown for a few minutes.
Serve hot with raw vegetables, as an appetizer or as a main dish.
Timo e Lenticchie Tips
Store leftover meatballs well sealed in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them and take them out when needed. You can vary the vegetables according to seasonality.
