Serves 4
Adapted from DawnJacksonBlatner.com
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms (preferably vitamin-D enhanced variety)
- 8 cups pre-cleaned baby spinach, 2 cups for meatballs and 6 cups for pasta
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 can (15 ounces) lentils, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- Cooking spray
- 6 ounces uncooked quinoa pasta, cooked
- 2 cups jarred marinara sauce, warmed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In hot skillet, sauté oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, mushrooms and 2 cups of spinach for about 6 minutes or until most of the water is released from the mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt & pepper.
- Blot mixture dry with a paper towel.
- In food processor, pulse rolled oats until they are a course flour Set aside.
- In food processor (no need to wash the bowl from remaining oat dust), pulse cooked mushroom-spinach mixture with a 1/2 can of lentils. Note: Mixture should have texture, do not puree smooth.
- Stir in flaxseeds and the remaining lentils. Add oats gradually until mixture holds together into a dough.
- Shape dough into 24 Tablespoon-size meatballs, place on baking sheet, mist with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned.
- Serve meatballs on cooked pasta tossed with warm marinara and remaining baby spinach.
Enjoy!