I kind of have a thing for Italian food. It’s kind of like the thing I have for Mexican food, Thai food and all things margarita.

But sometimes, nothing quite satisfies like a classic, hearty Italian dish, and this meatball recipe is exactly that (you know, minus the meat, eggs, and cheese).

These meatballs are inspired by my Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pinwheels and adapted from my Simple Vegan Meatballs.

Having already tried a vegan meatball with tempeh, I wanted to try something a bit more approachable for everyone, so I went with chickpeas. Spoiler alert? I prefer them even more!

And, as always, this recipe is simple, requiring just 10 ingredients, simple methods, and less than 1 hour to prepare.

Once you form the meatballs, it’s just a matter of coating, sautéing and finishing them off in the oven while you prepare any desired sides, such as pasta, red sauce or salad. It’s about as simple as it gets.

The finished result is amazing! These meatballs are:

Hearty

Savory

Extremely flavorful

Tender on the inside

Slightly crisp on the outside

Infused with sun-dried tomato & basil

& Simply delicious

Make these to enjoy as an appetizer with a bit of marinara sauce, or to pair with your favorite pasta. I prefer mine atop spaghetti noodles and a classic red sauce with all of the vegan parmesan cheese.

If you like this recipe, you should also check out our Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant Lasagna Roll-ups, and Vegan Stuffed Shells!

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment and rate it, and don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see! Your photos always make our day. Cheers, friends!