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Meatless Monday: Vegan Spelt Spaghetti with Red Lentil 'Meatballs'

When I was 8, I found out what meat was made of. My first thought was that my collection of stuffed animals (many of them the farm variety) would not be impressed, my second was that my mind was made up: I would become a vegetarian. While my mom probably thought it would last about a week (or a day) I stuck with it, and have since become vegan. While I know being a vegetarian isn't for everyone, going meatless just one day a week makes a big impact for animal welfare, the environment and your own health. And, as Bonnie pointed out in her first Meatless Monday post—it’s also delicious!

Speaking of Bonnie, Best Health’s editor-in-chief and resident Meatless Monday blogger, she’s a busy lady. That’s why I’ll be posting delicious meatless recipes when she can’t. This is one of my favourite go-to recipes that I've perfected over time—a twist on the standard spaghetti and meatballs. I hope you like it!

Vegan Spelt Spaghetti with Red Lentil 'Meatballs'

1 clove garlic
1 small yellow onion (or half large)
5 button mushrooms
1 cup cooked red lentils, cooled (a small can, rinsed and drained, works too)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (can be found at health food stores)
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sautee mushroom, garlic and onions in olive oil and set aside. Blend the remaining ingredients (minus breadcrumbs) in food processor until smooth (add a little bit of water if it doesn't blend properly). Mix in breadcrumbs and garlic/mushroom/onion mixture and form small, round patties.

Fry the patties in olive oil for a few minutes on each side and transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Cook the pasta (I used Eden Organic Spelt Pasta) according to package instructions. Mix in desired amount of tomato sauce (I used Eden Organic Tomato Sauce as well). Add desired amount of pasta and 'meatballs' to bowl and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy with a glass of red wine (as you can see, that's what I did!)

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor

Posted by onMonday, July 30th, 2012 - 9:59am

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2 Comments

The vegetables that hunter-gathers eat are not the domesticated versions found in Western or in industrialized economise- products in developing countries tend to be tastier and/or more nutrient dense than here (Ottawa or Canada for e.g.); in the countryside of those countries the wild plant parts that h/g people dig or pick is much higher in fibre and low in calories; some Australian explorers who were stranded in 19th century for e.g. could not be rescued by aboriginals who gave them food but they could not digest it and starved. Similarly Brits living in an artificial ancient village had to abandon the project- the food was too high in fibre for one of the children who became ill. We have adapted to higher calorie food over the years and a similar thing happened too animal products- eskimos eat blubber raw to get fat soluble vitamins. Another issue in this comparison (of us to h/g re food) is h/g people do not work as long hrs as most Westerners- less than half of our normal work hrs are they in effect on the job doing their h/g-ing.

Submitted by John Morgan on Fri, 2012-08-03 3:01am.

What a pile of crap. A big impact on animal welfare, The food is farmed, not grown in the wild, the big impact will be on the Farmer.

Submitted by Archie on Mon, 2012-07-30 5:40pm.