Vegetarian Polpette

Finely chop the mushrooms, mince the onion and garlic, and chop the fresh parsley and basil.

Drain and mash the cooked chickpeas in a bowl until mostly smooth with some texture remaining.

Combine the chopped mushrooms, mashed chickpeas, panko breadcrumbs, minced onion, minced garlic, grated Parmesan, egg, parsley, basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

Form the mixture into 16 balls (about 3cm diameter) and place on a clean plate.

Heat 15ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Place 8 polpette in the skillet without crowding and cook for 4 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Gently roll the polpette and cook another 3 minutes until evenly browned on all sides, then transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 15ml of olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Cook the remaining 8 polpette for 4 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Roll the polpette and cook another 3 minutes until evenly browned on all sides, then transfer to the plate with the first batch.

Pour the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth into the skillet over medium heat, stirring to combine.

Return all polpette to the skillet and simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and the flavors are well combined.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste before serving.