When one makes the move to a more plant-based diet, there are always things you are going to miss. Last year, my husband and I played around with a full vegetarian diet, but then we missed seafood too much. By adding the occasional seafood meal into our diets, we became pescatarians, rather than vegetarians.

We now find that we are most comfortable by keeping a flexible attitude, especially when dining out, and occasionally do (once a month) eat meat or poultry. I recently came across the term flexitarian, which means being a vegetarian with the occasional inclusion of meats.

This seems to fit us best as we do keep a vegetarian diet 99% of the time at home. When traveling or dining out, it is hard not to enjoy a piece of tasty Bistecca Fiorentina in Florence, or golden brown, crispy Fritto Misto when we are by the sea.

The one area where I have struggled on my vegetarian quest is finding a good veggie burger, vegetarian “meatloaf”, or meatballs. When it comes to meatballs, I just cannot seem to find recipes using grains or beans that end up moist but still hold together when cooked in sauce.

I do have a great Bread and Cheese “Meatball” recipe that works perfectly, but I wanted a recipe with more protein since we are not eating meat at home. I came across a recipe for lentil and ricotta cheese meatballs from the blog In Jennie’s Kitchen that was exactly what I was looking for. These “meatballs” really resemble the turkey or chicken variety and retain their moisture perfctly. Also, most important to me, is that they can be simmered in tomato sauce, and hold their shape perfectly.

I used our beige Umbrian lentils for this recipe, but I think any variety of lentils would work. When pureeing them in the food processor, if you do not puree the mixture to the point it is completely smooth, the “meatballs” really do resemble meat. Even my husband who grew up on his Mother’s meatballs was surprised just how good these lentil “meatballs” tasted!

Though I normally prefer to cook my lentils “al dente”, in this recipe, I find it best if they are completely cooked, though not to the point of being mushy. I used my Quick All Purpose Tomato Sauce to simmer my lentil balls after frying them which gave the dish a fresh flavor.

I served my “meatballs” on their own as a main course with slices of crusty Italian bread and sautéed greens, but they would also be delicious served alongside pasta topped with the tomato sauce. These “meatballs” can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the sauce for up to three days.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele