A little something for the meat-eaters…
A little something for the meat-eaters…
These drool-inducing meatballs pack a sustainable secret
Hey gang, and welcome back to Cool Beans, where we’re cooking up tasty food that’s gentle on the planet. It can be tricky to navigate plant-based eating as someone with carnivorous leanings. I started down my journey to eat less meat just over a year ago, but I’ve figured out a few ways to make the switch a little more accessible. One of those secrets is that you don’t have to go cold turkey to make a difference. If every meat-eater in the U.S. halved their annual animal protein intake, that’d have the same impact as grounding every domestic flight for a year. And there’s already a decent appetite for going halfsies: A recent survey found that nearly three-quarters of Americans were into the idea of “plant-rich meat,” or foods that are part-flora-part-fauna.
Today, I’ve got my fingers on the (literal) pulse of an easy way to put that idea into practice in your kitchen. Lentils are a protein-packed ingredient that can help limit meat consumption—either as an out-and-out swap in things like picadillo and sloppy Joes, or as a way to use less meat in other classics like burgers, tacos, and shepherd’s pie. Today, though, I'm in a pasta mood, so I’m using those little legumes in conjunction with pork for some nonna-approved meatballs.
A dynamic meatball duo
A few years ago I was making Bolognese for a dinner party when I realized I didn’t buy enough meat. I panicked and rummaged through my pantry for a solution and came across a can of languishing lentils. I added them to the pot, and to my surprise, one of my favorite pasta sauces was born. The lentils stretched the meat by an extra four servings (fully doubling what I had) and were practically undetectable to my guests. Today’s recipe deploys them again to bulk up what might be the easiest meatballs you will ever make.
When it comes to what kind of meat to use, we have some opinions. The official Cool Beans stance on meatballs is that they should be made with pork—specifically, Italian sausage—instead of beef, and that’s for a couple of reasons. First off, compared with beef, pork’s got a big sustainable edge: Pound-for-pound, producing beef nets more than 8 times the greenhouse gases as an equivalent amount of pork. Why is this? Pigs simply take up less room than cows, grow quickly, and eat less. Not to mention, they literally chow down on vegetable scraps, which is pretty huge when it comes to curbing food waste. The other reason is flavor. Italian sausage is already loaded up with spices and herbs, making it a major time-saver.
With the pork holding things down flavorwise, the lentils keep the meatballs moist and juicy, so there’s no need for binders like eggs and breadcrumbs. Plus, to save time, I’m opting to bake the meatballs instead of pan-frying them, which makes it easy to parallel process prepping the pasta sauce. Now that’s a speedy (and sustainable) meatball.
Pork and Lentil Meatballs
Yield: 4 servings (16 meatballs)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
One 15-ounce can brown lentils, drained and rinsed*
1 pound bulk Italian sausage*
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
⅓ cup red or white wine (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 basil leaves, chopped
1 pound cooked spaghetti, or long thin noodle of choice
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with foil or a silicone baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the pan.
Add the lentils to a large bowl and use a potato masher or a fork to crush them. We want to maintain a little texture, so no need to mash them completely. Add the sausage and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix together. Divide the mixture in fourths. Using wet hands, form each quarter into 5 balls, so you’ll have 20 total.
Arrange the meatballs on the baking pan and roll them in the oil to coat. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and wine, if using. Stir in the sugar, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and basil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently until sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and keep warm until the meatballs are done.
Once the meatballs are cooked, add them and any pan juices to the sauce and stir gently to coat.
To serve, divide cooked pasta into bowls and top with meatballs and sauce.
Notes and Substitutions:
If you can’t find bulk sausage—that’s the one with no casing—grab some links and remove the meat from the casings.
If working with dried lentils: Add ¾ cup brown or green lentils to a pot with 2¼ cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool before using in the recipe.