These vegan lentil meatballs are full of Italian herbs and spices. Currants offer a touch of sweetness, pine nuts add earthiness and bite, and red pepper flakes give a little spicy kick. Bake just 30 minutes in the oven and pair with spaghetti and marinara for a nostalgic Italian comfort dish.
Preheat to the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a skillet over medium heat, roast the pine nuts until they are lightly browned. This should just take three to four minutes after the skillet is hot. Be careful that they don't burn.
Peel and dice the onion.
Drain and rinse the lentils. Pat dry to remove excess liquid.
Add the lentils, onion, herbs, and spices to the food processor and pulse eight to ten times for about one second each pulse. You want the mixture to still be fairly coarse. If the mixture gets overprocessed, it will be too wet and the meatballs will stay mushy on the inside after they're baked.
Scrape the meatball mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. Use your hands (or a wooden spoon) to combine.
Next, add the currants and pine nuts to the mixture. Use your hands (or a wooden spoon) to combine.
Once the mixture is combined, take about 2 tablespoons in your hand. Squeeze and press the mixture, passing back and forth between your fingers and palms until some of the liquid starts to release and the mixture begins to hoild together. Once the mixture is holding together, form into a ball (a little smaller than a golfball). Place the ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until you've used up all the mixture. You should have approximately 16 vegan meatballs.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook the meatballs for about 30 minutes. When they are finished, they should be crispy and nicely browned on the outside.
For the Pasta and Sauce
While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta until it is al dente (about 9 minutes, see package for exact cooking time). Drain and set aside.
Warm your marinara sauce in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. (For an easy homemade marinara, check out the link to my recipe below).
When the meatballs are done, you can add them to the skilet with the marinara sauce and heat another 5 minutes before layering on your spaghetti. Or you can layer the meatballs and sauce seperately.
Top your spaghetti and vegan meatballs with fresh basil and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan. Serve and enjoy!
I always make my own breadcrumbs by pulsing toast in the food processor. Two standard-sized pieces of toast will give you about a cup of breadcrumbs.
Instead of all the dried herbs listed above, you can use 6 tablespoon of a premixed Italian herb seasoning.
If you don't have pine nuts or want a more budget-friendly option, you can use sunflower seeds.
Chopped raisins can substitute for currants.
If you don't have a food processor, you can use a potato masher or fork to mash the lentils. This might take a few extra minutes. You will need to make sure the onions are diced very fine.
These are a tad spicy, so if that's not your thing, reduce the amount of red pepper flakes or eliminate.