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Lentil and Mushroom Balls in Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti and Courgetti

Baked lentil and mushroom balls in a garlicky tomato sauce, served on wholewheat spaghetti mixed with courgetti. A vegan dinner with 20g of protein, soya-free and nut-free, ready in 65 minutes.

Dinner

65

Serves 4 (4 balls each)

A grey bowl of spaghetti in tomato sauce with brown lentil and mushroom balls, topped with basil and a savoury sprinkle, with two tomatoes and a fork on a wooden board

Ingredients

  • For the balls: 1 x 400g (14oz) tin green lentils, drained, rinsed and patted dry on kitchen paper (about 240g/8½oz drained)
  • 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms (cremini mushrooms), very finely chopped
  • 1 small onion (about 100g/3½oz), very finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic (about 12g), crushed: 2 for the balls, 1 for the sauce
  • 60g/2oz/½ cup chickpea flour (gram flour or besan)
  • 25g/5 tbsp nutritional yeast: 15g for the balls, 10g to serve
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, half a tsp salt and black pepper
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil: 1 tbsp for the balls, 1 tbsp for the sauce
  • For the sauce: 500g/2 cups passata (strained tomatoes) and a few basil leaves
  • 140g/5oz dried wholewheat spaghetti
  • 2 courgettes (zucchini, about 400g/14oz), spiralised or cut into thin ribbons

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, 400F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper (parchment paper).
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until all the liquid the mushrooms release has evaporated and the pan is dry. Add 2 of the crushed garlic cloves and the oregano for the last minute. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Mash the lentils roughly in a bowl. Add the mushroom mixture, chickpea flour, 15g of the nutritional yeast, the salt and pepper and mix well. The mixture should hold when squeezed: if it is too soft, add another tablespoon of chickpea flour; if it is crumbly, a teaspoon of water. With damp hands, roll into 16 balls, about 30g each, and put them on the tray. Chill them for 15 minutes if you have time, which helps them hold their shape.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until browned and firm.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan with the last garlic clove for 1 minute, add the passata and simmer for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Season and tear in the basil.
  6. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, adding the courgetti for the last minute, then drain.
  7. Gently stir the balls into the sauce. Serve on the spaghetti and courgetti, sprinkled with the remaining nutritional yeast. The balls and sauce keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, and the uncooked balls freeze for up to 3 months; bake from frozen at the same temperature for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot all the way through.

Why it works

A bowl gives you about 20g of protein and 13g of fibre for 411 calories, from the lentils, chickpea flour and wholewheat spaghetti.

How they hold together without egg. Chickpea flour binds the lentils and mushrooms and sets firm in the oven. The key step is cooking the mushrooms until the pan is completely dry; wet mushrooms make soft balls that fall apart.

Half spaghetti, half courgetti. Mixing wholewheat spaghetti with courgette ribbons keeps a proper bowl of pasta while bringing the carbohydrate down to 52g, inside our limit for the blood sugar tag.

Nutritional yeast instead of cheese. It gives a savoury, cheesy flavour and is often fortified with vitamin B12, which vegans need to get from fortified foods or supplements. Check the label to see if yours is fortified.

Contains wheat (gluten); use gluten-free spaghetti if you need to. Soya-free and nut-free as written. For a meat version, try the turkey meatballs with courgetti.