Spaghetti is one of my favorite comfort foods. I ate it all the time growing up, and all throughout college it was a staple of mine! Today I am sharing my recipe for vegetarian lentil quinoa meatballs, which are perfect for spaghetti night!
If you love spaghetti too, you should also check out my mushroom lentil bolognase recipe, which is vegan, as well as gluten free! Comfort food at its finest!
Recently I was asked by a reader if one of my favorite lentil recipes, lentil loaf, was actually good. A valid question, given that readers experience with a different loaf recipe.
I should have just said YES!! because I love the recipe and think it is good. Instead I spun off something else, describing how lentils don’t (and shouldn’t) taste like meat. Also, everyone is entitled to their own opinions about food.
Just like my lentil loaf, these meatballs taste great! However, they don’t taste like meat. Delicious is more important to me than replication, because after all, I choose to eat plants and not meat.
Variations to the Vegetarian Lentil Quinoa Meatballs recipe:
- Gluten free swap: I have tried this recipe with ground pecans instead of breadcrumbs. The flavor is great, but the texture is much drier. If you make this swap, be sure to give the meatballs plenty of time in the sauce to moisten up!
- Vegan swap: To avoid the egg in this recipe, I suggest using fresh cooked short grain brown rice instead of the quinoa. The short grain rice is sticky and will help the balls hold their shape. Also, the Parmesan can be replaced with more nutritional yeast.
- Try these meatballs in another dish! Meatballs subs or barbecue meatballs would both be delicious!
- ½ cup lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup water
- 1 small onion, diced
- Splash olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (preferably whole wheat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp each: Italian seasoning and steak seasoning
- 3 TBS grated Parmesan
- 2 TBS nutritional yeast
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 cups sauce of choice (marinara for spaghetti)
- 10 oz spaghetti, cooked
- Cover the lentils with water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and drain, removing the bay leaf.
- Combine quinoa with ½ cup water in a rice cooker, or on the stove top. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.
- In a small skillet, combine a splash of olive oil with the diced onion. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Mix in balsamic vinegar and stir to incorporate. Place balsamic onions in a large bowl.
- Add lentils to the bowl with the onion, and coarsely mash with a large spoon. Mix in cooked quinoa, breadcrumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, steak seasoning, Parmesan, and nutritional yeast. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings as necessary. Mix in egg.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Form the lentil mixture into balls, using 2-3 tablespoons each. You should make about 20 balls. Place the lentil balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way.
- Add 3 cups marinara (or sauce of choice) to a large skillet. Add the baked lentil balls, turning to coat, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Let this simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until well heated.
- Serve sauce and lentil balls over cooked spaghetti.
These look so yummy, can’t wait to try! Can I freeze these?
Yes, they can absolutely be frozen for later use! I cook them, freeze them, and let them thaw in the fridge before reheating via microwave. Thanks for your question, Danica!