Italian Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce

These Italian meatballs with simple tomato sauce are meatless, made from lentils, oats and tomato paste, and ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes. The recipe makes 22 meatballs, enough for 4 people, and it works as a weeknight dinner or a meatless dish for guests.

Why This Recipe Works

The lentils are boiled until soft but not mushy, then pulsed in short bursts with the oats. A few whole lentils and oats stay in the mix, so the meatballs keep some bite instead of turning into paste.

Tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce build the savory, tangy taste that meat would normally bring. The Italian seasoning goes into both the meatballs and the sauce, so the flavor runs through the whole dish.

The meatballs bake before they go into the sauce. Baking dries the outside and browns it, so the balls hold their shape when you toss them in the pot.

Italian Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1/2 shallot, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, crushed with a masher or in a food processor
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the meatballs

• 3/4 cup dry green or brown lentils
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

How To Make Italian Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce

Cook the lentils

1. Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Do this first, so it is hot by the time the meatballs are shaped.
2. Boil the lentils: Put the dry lentils in a small pot and add water to cover them by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil uncovered for 20 minutes, until soft but not mushy, then drain.

Shape and bake the meatballs

3. Pulse the mix: Put the cooked lentils, oats, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor. Add the pinch of red pepper flakes too, if you like heat. Pulse on high until combined. Stop while a few whole lentils and oats are still visible.
4. Roll the balls: Roll the mix into 22 to 23 balls and set them on a baking sheet.
5. Bake: Bake for 22 minutes, until the meatballs are browned.

Make the sauce

6. Soften the shallot: While the meatballs bake, melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
7. Simmer the tomatoes: Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
8. Toss together: Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and toss gently to coat them. Serve hot.

Recipe Tips

• Pulse in short bursts: Check the mix after every few pulses. Once it turns smooth, the meatballs lose their bite and can feel pasty.
• Dry the lentils well: Drain the lentils fully before they go in the processor. Extra water makes the mix wet and the balls harder to roll.
• Toss gently: Fold the meatballs into the sauce with a spoon instead of stirring hard. Lentil meatballs are softer than meat ones and can break.
• Crush the tomatoes your way: A masher leaves a chunky sauce, a food processor makes it smoother. Pick the texture you like.

What To Serve With Italian Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce

Serve the meatballs with a green salad or roasted vegetables and crusty bread to mop up the sauce. They also sit well on top of spaghetti or tucked into a toasted roll.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep leftover meatballs in their sauce in a covered container for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze the meatballs in the sauce for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, never on the counter.
• Reheat: Warm them in a covered saucepan over low heat until hot all the way through.

FAQs

Are these lentil meatballs vegan?

Nearly. The meatballs have no animal products, but the sauce uses butter. Swap in vegan butter or more olive oil and the whole dish is vegan.

Are these meatballs gluten free?

Not as written. Soy sauce usually contains wheat, and regular rolled oats can be cross-contaminated. Use tamari and certified gluten free oats to make them safe.

Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?

Yes. Shape and bake them, then keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them. Warm them in the sauce when you are ready to eat.

Why do my lentil meatballs fall apart?

The mix was most likely too dry or too coarse. Pulse a few more times so the lentils and oats bind, and let the lentils drain well before blending. Bake until the outside is browned, then handle gently.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 330 kcal
• Total Fat: 12g
• Total Carbohydrate: 44g
• Dietary Fiber: 12g
• Protein: 14g

Italian Meatballs with Simple Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Total time

70

minutes

Meatless Italian meatballs made from lentils and rolled oats, baked until browned and tossed in a simple crushed tomato sauce. Makes 22 meatballs for 4 servings.

Ingredients

• For the sauce

• 1/2 shallot, diced

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, crushed with a masher or in a food processor

• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• For the meatballs

• 3/4 cup dry green or brown lentils

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

• Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Do this first, so it is hot by the time the meatballs are shaped.
• Boil the lentils: Put the dry lentils in a small pot and add water to cover them by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil uncovered for 20 minutes, until soft but not mushy, then drain.
• Pulse the mix: Put the cooked lentils, oats, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor. Add the pinch of red pepper flakes too, if you like heat. Pulse on high until combined. Stop while a few whole lentils and oats are still visible.
• Roll the balls: Roll the mix into 22 to 23 balls and set them on a baking sheet.
• Bake: Bake for 22 minutes, until the meatballs are browned.
• Soften the shallot: While the meatballs bake, melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Simmer the tomatoes: Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
• Toss together: Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and toss gently to coat them. Serve hot.