Lentil Walnut "Meatballs" and Spaghetti

5 from 1 vote

Lentil Walnut "Meatballs" and Spaghetti

Classic spaghetti and meatballs get a healthy, Mediterranean makeover in this tasty lentil walnut "meatballs" and spaghetti recipe!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Entree, Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian-Inspired, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 414kcal

Author: Deborah Murphy

Ingredients

For the Lentil Meatballs

1 cup small brown lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms ~1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg
1/3 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup walnuts
1 egg
3 chopped sun dried tomatoes soaked in hot water 10 minutes
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Pasta

1 zucchini
4 ounces whole grain spaghetti noodles
2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

To Serve

Shaved Parmesan cheese
Chopped walnuts

Instructions

Make the Lentil Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9"x11" glass baking dish with cooking oil and set aside.
Rinse your lentils and pick through them to remove any shriveled lentils or pebbles. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add broth. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes as needed until lentils are tender and any remaining broth has been cooked off.
While the lentils are cooking, add olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent. Stir in the red wine, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook another 5 minutes or until the wine has cooked off.
In a food processor, add the walnuts and pulse until they are finely ground. Add in the lentils, egg, tomatoes, onion/mushroom mixture, breadcrumbs, salt, and black pepper. Pulse just until a dough forms. (You still want most of the lentils to be whole.)
Make 2" balls with the lentils and arrange in a single layer in baking dish. (Recipe makes about 14-16 meatballs.) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until meatballs are browned and firm when pressed lightly with your finger.

Make the Pasta

While the meatballs are baking, cook your pasta and heat up your favorite pasta sauce. Spiralize the zucchini and toss in with the boiling pasta water in the last minute of cooking. Strain pasta and zucchini.
To serve, divide pasta between 5 dishes. Top with 1/2 cup pasta sauce and 3 meatballs. Sprinkle with parmesan and chopped walnuts to serve.

Notes

The meatballs freeze well if you want to store for future use. Add to an airtight container for freezing. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave when ready to eat or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 min.

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