Italian-Style Chickpea and Rice Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Method

1. 1 Place the tomato passata in a pan over low heat. Add the fresh basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave it to warm through gently while you make the meatballs.
2. 2 Place the basmati rice, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, olive oil, fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, tomato puree, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a blender. Blend until a firm dough forms.
3. 3 With damp hands, shape the mixture into about 16 meatballs.
4. 4 Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs - they will be soft, so gently shake the pan regularly to prevent sticking. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning carefully, until lightly golden and browned all over.
5. 5 Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and warm through for a few minutes.
6. 6 Serve scattered with fresh basil leaves and a side of greens.