Saucy Couscous Veggie Balls

Fill a pot with abundant salted water and cook the split peas for ab. 50-60 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set the peas aside. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl, preferably in terracotta, add a drizzle of EVO and mix well. Then, in pan, heat ¾ cup of salted water or vegetable broth. As soon as the water/broth is boiling, pour it over the couscous and, without stirring, let it rest, covered by a lid. After 10 minutes, toss with a fork and set aside. While the couscous is cooling, prepare the sauce: in a pot sauté ½ onion along with a tablespoon of EVO for a couple of minutes and then pour in the tomato sauce, letting it cook over low flame for ab. 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the sauce to a small bowl. At this point, put the remaining onion in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of EVO, adding in split peas, carrot, zucchini, aubergine and pepper. Let everything cook until the vegetables will be “al dente”, adding broth if required. As soon as the vegetables are cooked, combine them to the couscous, also incorporating breadcrumbs and salt. Stir well and shape the mixture into small balls. Finally, plunge them into the sauce for ab. 5 minutes and serve.