Working at an Italian restaurant is so hard cause everything looks amazing but it’s loaded with cheese and meat!! Decided to make my own version of a not-so-traditional Italian dish but still super delicious.
Meatballs:
- 1 can lentils
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup ground oats (or breadcrumbs for not GF)
- 1/3 cup ground walnuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta:
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- Pinch of pepper
- Garnish: chopped walnuts, fresh basil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375F and spray small muffin tin with oil.
- In bowl, add drained and rinsed lentils and mash.
- In skillet, heat oil and add onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent then add to bowl with lentils.
- Add tomato paste, oregano, basil, soy sauce, oats, and walnuts. Fully combine and season to taste.
- Roll into balls and place in muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Before serving, heat pan with oil and grill lentil balls to get a crispy outside.
- While they are cooking, crumble tofu in bowl and add lemon juice, salt, basil, and pepper. Combine and ensure all tofu is broken into little pieces.
- Serve with favourite marinara sauce, chopped walnuts, and fresh basil.
This looks so fresh and delicious 🙂
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Super tasty!!
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