Vegetarian Italian Meatballs

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat a large skillet (I prefer cast iron for this) over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until just slightly golden brown, approximately 2 1/2 minutes, being careful not to brown or burn them. Remove from heat and set aside.

To a blender or food processor, add cooked lentils, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, sautéed garlic and shallots, Italian seasonings, fresh parsley, tomato paste, grated cheese, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.
Pulse, mixing until combined, but be sure not to puree. Keeping some full lentils in the mix is fine, but most of it should be a mushier consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Add egg and Italian bread crumbs. Blend well with your clean bare hands. The texture should be doughy. If it’s too wet, add more bread crumbs.

Use a tablespoon or cookie dough scoop to scoop out rounded amounts of the mixture and carefully form into balls. The mixture is pretty easy to mold, but it’s fragile. It’s best to rest the ball in the palm of one hand, and use two fingers from your other hand to carefully and gently form into a ball. If you find cracks, dampen your fingers with a little water to help bind and reform. Repeat until all of the balls are formed. I got 10 out of my mix.

Spread some grated cheese and extra bread crumbs onto a plate and carefully roll the balls through to coat.

Heat your skillet over medium heat once again, and once hot, add olive oil. Carefully place the balls onto the hot skilled and brown, for about 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown. Shake the pan or use a silicone spoon/tongs to roll the balls around so they brown evenly on all sides.

Once done cooking, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and set aside until all the balls are ready. Once all balls are browned and set on the baking sheet, transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool slightly. They will firm as they cool.

Serve them up on their own with marinara sauce, a plate of pasta, or a as a meatball sub! Treat them as you would treat Italian meatballs.