Vegetarian Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs with Lemony Pesto Recipe

Enjoy a vegetarian spin on spaghetti and meatballs with this spaghetti and lentil meatballs with lemony pesto recipe! The meatballs are tender and packed with protein, and perfectly flavored with parmesan cheese, spices and herbs. You’ll love them with a bright and fresh basil and lemon pesto!

Even before I started blogging, I rarely cooked the same dish twice. When people find this out, they're are always astonished, but I'm more shocked that people can eat the same thing day after day. I remember reading the average person has only ten dinner dishes they alternate. How boring! Life is too short to eat the same thing twice. There are too many cuisines to try, spices to mix and new ingredients to experiment with!

I hardly ever repeat the same recipe, but there are a few dishes I frequently experiment with different variations of. Eggplant parmesan, for example, is a summer time staple. I've tried it every which way, from grilled to vegan to classically deep fried. Frittatas frequently make an appearance on our dinner table at least twice a month. Statistically speaking, with all that frittata-ing, I'm sure I've used the same ingredients at some point.

Lentil meatballs are my newest culinary obsession. Ever since I shared these vegetable and lentil meatballs last fall, I've made quite a few variations, and this vegetarian spaghetti and lentil meatballs with lemony pesto recipe is one of my favorites. It’s adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook, and as soon as I saw it in there, I knew I needed to add it to my arsenal! I’ve long been a fan of the Sprouted Kitchen blog and all the fresh, seasonal flavors they highlight, and the cookbook is no different.

I might describe my original lentil and vegetable meatball as the fall/winter version, with it's rich, umami flavor from caramelized vegetables, tomato paste and plenty of parmesan. These could be the spring/summer version, with a lighter flavor and bright, herby lemon pesto.

How to Make Lemony Pesto for Vegetarian Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs

I served these vegetarian lentil meatballs over a bed of whole grain pasta and blanched greens tossed with a lemony pesto, which I made by cooking spaghetti in salted water and adding a bag of spinach a minute or two before the pasta was done cooking, then mixing with a freshly made lemony pesto.

Traditional pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese. This one uses those same ingredients, but with a hefty dose of lemon juice and zest to brighten the flavor. I like to whip it up in the food processor, but you could also puree the basil leaves and garlic using a mortar and pestle and then whisk in the olive oil and lemon juice.

Vegetarian Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs Recipe Adaptions

There’s lots of different ways to serve these vegetarian lentil meatballs. You could serve them over sauteed spinach along with pesto, or use them to make a meatball sub. While spinach is an easy vegetable to use in the spaghetti, feel free to use other greens, or another spring vegetable, like asparagus.

This vegetarian spaghetti and lentil meatballs with lemony pesto recipe has been updated to give you the best possible content.

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Lentil Meatballs with Lemony Pesto

Serves 4

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 cup lentils

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 3/4 cup crumbled firm tofu

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs

Lemony Pesto:

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/4 cup pine nuts

• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

• Pinch of salt

• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons water

Pasta:

• 8 ounces whole grain spaghetti

• 1 bag baby spinach

Instructions

1. Place the lentils in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. While lentils are cooking, make the pesto by blending all pesto ingredients together in a food processor until creamy. Season with salt to taste.

3. Once the lentils are cool enough to handle, place in a large bowl and mash lightly with a potato masher. It should be half mashed, half whole lentils. Add eggs, olive oil, tofu, Parmesan, garlic, fennel, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine and set aside for 15 minutes so the flavors blend.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil. Form golf ball sized "meatballs" using the lentil mixture. Place each meatball on the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Bake the meatballs in the oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway.

5. While lentil meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. About 30 seconds before draining, add the bag of spinach to wilt. Drain, then toss the hot pasta with the pesto in the pot. Serve pasta topped with lentil meatballs.

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