What's up with tofurkey? Vegetarian hot dogs? Fake bacon, or as I call it, Fakin'? What's the point? Must we pretend to eat meat?
This summer, I've attempted to use tofu for chicken, make my own veggie burgers with quinoa and mushrooms, and try several of the packaged veggie meat substitutes on the market. In a word: yuck! Perhaps it's just me, but all of the meat substitutes I've tried are either horrible, bland, or simply leave you wanting the real thing. I'd much rather grill a simple portabella cap and stick it on a bun than to suffer through another mealy, unsatisfying veggie burger. Can we just let veggies be veggies instead of trying to make them be something else? They are delicious just as they are!
That being said...You know every rule has to have an exception, and this is mine. This is the first and only recipe for a meat substitute that I actually ate and enjoyed. So much so that I have made it more than once. On purpose.
Pasta is a comfort food for me, and I often find myself craving spaghetti and meatballs. With fear and skepticism, I decided to give this recipe a try, and I am SO glad I did. The meatballs are hearty, moist, have a great texture, and while no one would mistake them for actual meat, they are delicious.
This is also the first time I can recall ever using lentils in a recipe. What took me so long? Lentils are quick to cook and have an earthy, sagey, dare I say almost bacon-y flavor that lends a richness and depth to the meatballs.
Have I convinced you yet? Here's the recipe:
Lentil and Ricotta "Meatballs" - slightly modified from Tasty Kitchen*
- 2 cups Prepared Or Canned Lentils, Pureed
- ⅔ cups Herbed Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
- 2 whole Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten
- ½ cups Part-Skim Ricotta, Well-drained
- ¼ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1-½ teaspoon Fresh Chopped Italian (flat-leaf) Parsley
- Other Italian herbs, to taste (I used fresh basil and rosemary)
- 1 T. capers, finely chopped
- Marinara Sauce (I used homemade; see notes)
- 1 lb. cooked pasta
Preparation Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a deep bowl. Mix very well, using hands or a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Generously spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- Shape mixture into 3/4-inch balls.
- Place meatballs on cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until they start to brown on the bottom.
- Turn meatballs over and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Add to simmering marinara sauce if serving immediately, then serve over pasta.
- Meatballs in sauce freeze and reheat well.
For the marinara, place 6 large tomatoes, roughly chopped, one medium onion, roughly chopped and several peeled cloves of garlic on a rimmed cookie sheet greased with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Flip vegetables over and return to oven for 15 more minutes. The edges of the tomatoes should just be starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Once the vegetables are cool, add a small batch at a time to a food processor and pulse until the sauce is the right consistency. Add herbs and seasonings, to taste.
*The original recipe says to make the meatballs much larger and fry them. I found making them smaller and baking them helps them hold their shape better so they don't fall apart in the sauce. It also reduces the fat content because you're not using oil for frying.
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