Vegan Butternut Squashetti with Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 100g ( 1/2 cup) dried green lentils
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 100g (1 cup) unsalted raw walnuts (optional)
- 1/2 x 400g tin black beans
- 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 8 unsulphured dried apricots
- 1 tomato sauce
- Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A handful of basil leaves
- A sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)
Squashetti
- 2 butternut squash (approx. 1.2kg each)
- Olive oil
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Rinse and drain the lentils, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked or according to packet instructions.
Fry half the onion in coconut or olive oil for 6-8 minutes until softened, adding garlic for the final minute.
In a food processor, pulse walnuts if using until in small chunks, add remaining meatball ingredients except reserved onion, garlic, lentils, and apricots, and blend until combined; then stir in the diced onion and apricots.
Form the mixture into 12 balls, place on a baking tray, and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway.
Spiralize the butternut squash to create noodles
Toss the squashetti with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until tender
Serve the squashetti with the meatballs, tomato sauce, basil leaves, and nutritional yeast if desired
