Spaghetti and Lentil Balls

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment paper with oil.

Step 2

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until both are softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds, until fragrant.

Step 3

Use a spatula to transfer the vegetable mixture, including any residual oil, into a food processor. Add the cooked lentils, pepper, oregano, nutritional yeast, and tomato paste, and pulse to combine. Finally, add the walnuts and continue to pulse until the walnuts are crumbled. Add other seasoning to the mixture to taste. (If you did not use canned lentils, you will probably need to add salt).

Step 4

The mixture will be fairly soft, but form it into small lentil balls as best you can, placing them on the baking sheet with plenty of space between them.

Step 5

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If the lentil balls are firm enough, carefully flip them over after 25 to 30 minutes before continuing baking. Let the lentil balls cool for 5 to 10 minutes before gently removing them from the sheet with the help of a spatula.

Step 6

Meanwhile, drain the package of tofu shirataki, and rinse the noodles. Either microwave the noodles for 1 minutes, or boil them for 3 minutes. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the noodles to a shorter length for eating (half is fine).

Step 7

In a small sauce pan with no oil or liquid, cook the noodles over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, stirring them frequently. You will see the noodles releasing steam, and want them to end up dry but still supple.

Step 8

Add your tomato sauce, stir, and bring it to a steady simmer to heat the sauce. Reduce the heat to low to keep the spaghetti warm while you wait for the lentil balls to be done.

Step 9

Serve a generous portion of spaghetti with around 1/3 of the lentil balls, topped with hemp parmesan if desired. Leftover lentil balls keep in the fridge for a couple of days - store after cooling to room temperature.