Double Duty Red Sauce

Last week, I decided to make a red sauce and split it into 2, using one to simmer some meatballs in, and the other to add chickpeas to for a veg option. I had some carrots left from Stillman's as well as some beautiful kale and broccoli that I needed to use up.
I started the sauce off in one pot and split off a portion of the sauce when I was ready to add in the meatballs. I sauteed garlic, carrots and onion in some extra virgin olive oil, added in diced tomatoes and oregano as well as the broccoli and kale and let that simmer for a bit while I made the meatballs.
The meatballs were made from a mix of pork and beef, Parmesan cheese, grated carrot and grated onion, a bit of extra virgin olive oil and S+P. After forming the meatballs, I dropped them in one of the pots of the simmering sauce to cook.
To the other pot of simmering sauce, I simply added in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas as well as a small, round pasta called Fregola. Fregola is a traditional pasta from Sardinia made from durum semolina wheat. It's got good protein (6g in 1/3 cup uncooked) and good fiber (2g in 1/3 cup uncooked).
Out of one batch of tomato sauce I was able to generate 2 hearty versions, a veg option as well as the meat eaters version with the meatballs.
I served the sauces with beautiful micro greens, red peppers and chopped purple cabbage, and with roasted Kabocha squash, (all from Stillman's as well). The meal was so vibrant. The flavors burst as we ate and it was a simple but very delicious meal.

Vegetarian version


Non-veg version


Roasted Kabocha


Lovely salad