Last fall I tried a new type of spaghetti.
Source: steamykitchen.com
Spaghetti squash. It blew my mind. Who knew you could make a vegetable act like a pasta?! The best part is that you can make it in the microwave in under 10 minutes.
If you haven’t tried it yet, you should probably do so immediately. It’s that fantastic. This squash-pasta takes on any flavor – have fun with it! I’ve been known to eat it for breakfast…
The air has a nice fall crispness to it, which only makes me crave an Italian classic: spaghetti and meatballs. (Side note: I didn’t have a single meatball in Italy!) Post-cleanse and post-Forks Over Knives watching, I have decided to limit my intake of meat and other animal products. So how was I to have meatballs?!
The spaghetti already had a twist… why not go experimental all the way?
Pre-Saucing
And so, Tofu-Lentil “Meat” Balls were born. I’m not going to lie – these aren’t a perfect match for the real deal, but they are good and added some nice bulk to the dish.
I used plenty of red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and garlic to make it feel more Italian. The addition of liquid smoke (found at Whole Foods) was awesome.
As if they weren’t healthy enough, I baked my balls rather than fried them in oil. That may have been more a function of my not believing they’d stay together in the pan.
As I alluded to before, the key to good spaghetti squash are the accompanying flavors. Use your favorite sauce here to make the dish pop! Don’t be afraid to start with a jar and add capers, roasted garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, cheese… or whatever your go-to Italian flavors are!
While we’re on the subject of balls…
Source: benjerry.com
Did you see that some grocery stores are refusing to carry Ben & Jerry’s new brilliant creation: Schweddy Balls??? I guess I get it… but come on… kids aren’t even going to “get” the joke.
Say what you will, but those fudgy rum balls are good – Schweddy Balls is B&Js most successful special edition ice cream to date.
“Spaghetti” and “Meat” Balls
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1/2 block tofu
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T shallot, minced
- 2 T parsley, chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/3 C lentils (pre-cooked)
- S+P, to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Cut the squash in half (can soften in microwave first). Remove the seeds. Place in a glass baking dish, cut side down, in about 1 in of water. Microwave for 7-8 minutes, or until shell is tender when pierced with a fork. (You can also do this in the oven at 350 for about 45 mins. I thought the microwave worked fantastically.) Remove the flesh with a fork and place in serving bowl.
Meanwhile, crumble tofu into food processor or Magic Bullet. Add garlic, shallots, parsley, red pepper flakes, and smoke. Blend until just combined – you don’t want to make a paste, just to be able to form a ball. Add lentils and stir by hand to combine.
Form 1-2 T size balls and place on foil or parchment paper. Place in oven and bake ~20 mins, until balls begin to brown.
Serve with spaghetti squash and your favorite sauce!
Makes 2 servings.
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Voting is now open on Facebook for Delta’s Biscoff Bake-Off. Pretty please vote for my Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls by clicking here and “liking” my entry. You can vote 1x per day!!!
What is the best “cold weather” meal you’ve made healthier?
What do you think of the Schweddy Balls controversy? Overkill or being responsible?
I’ve been limiting our meat intake (apart from fish) to about 3 times a week.. and with summer around the corner here it will be much easier to have all kinds of yummy veg and salads. Your meatballs look great. My cousins (vegan) make some with buckwheat too.
I’ve heard more and more people doing that – someone even proposed only having 1 meat day per week, a sort of reversed “Meatless Monday.”
I love spaghetti squash. I was so amazed the first time I cooked one. It looks like sphaghetti and kindaaaaaaa tastes like it too. You’re right in that the toppings make all the difference!
Fascinating! Never had spaghetti sauce. Never had tofu meat balls. Color me intrigued! Bookmarked and buzzed!
…and I don’t think I could ever eat anything called ‘Schweddy Balls.’ No matter how tasty they promised to be 😉
LOL! It really is good – the guy at the counter in the ATL airport let me try a bite. 🙂
I love foods that require quotation marks. 🙂
Yay, I just bought a spaghetti squash yesterday! This looks like a really yummy way to top it.
So THAT’s why I can’t find it! I swear to you, every time I go grocery shopping, I look for this new B&J’s flavor, simply so I can bring it home and make my husband laugh. Plus, anything with chocolate and rum is fine by me…no matter what the title is. 🙂
I love spaghetti squash! Interesting take on a meat substitute! I’m not vegetarian, but do enjoy lentils and tofu plenty, so I might try it for the sake of those ingredients rather than while wanting meat. Thank you!
WHY have I never made spaghetti squash in the microwave? Seriously. For something I claim to love so much you’d think I’d have figured out a quick way to get it in my mouth.
Of course, I do sometimes love when I roast it too long and some of the inside strands get browned and crispy…
I usually go the slow way… but I swear that micro trick works like a charm here. 🙂
I just learned from meals & miles you could microwave it…I HAD NO IDEA! Looks good girl!
xoxo from Houston – OH….I down loaded Forks over Knives for our flight to Spain…. 🙂 Thanks for the heads up
Let me know what you think of it!!!
This is amazing! I love love love spaghetti squash. In fact, I just bought a huge one at the market this weekend and I’ve been thinking about doing something new with it. Something out of bounds, like this recipe!
I love the Schweddy Balls…I didn’t know that it was out (probably because my grocer refuses to carry it).
The spaghetti squash, in pictures, always looks like real spaghetti. However I’ve been hesistant to eat it thinking that it wouldn’t taste as good as it looks. Does it really taste like pasta?
It’s not exactly like pasta – it definitely lacks the flour factor. However, it doesn’t have much flavor on it’s own so I love amping it up with any number of sauces.
I have some spag squa at home right now. I was thinking of making it tomorrow, but perhaps the sooner the better!
Ooooh I love spaghetti squash and your “meat” balls look fantastic!
Yay for spaghetti squash! I haven’t had it in a while 🙂
What an awesome idea! I love the idea of adding lentils…definitely pumps them up!
oooh i love the lentil tofu combo! I usually use chickpeas for my “meat” balls but i’m trying this next! brilliant love!!
and the schweddy balls drama is so silly – they need to grow a pair =)
Bwhahahaha! You win the prize for “Comment of the Day” with that one. 🙂
I have never heard of spaghetti squash but will be looking out for it for sure now! Thanks for this great idea. My husband loves pasta but hates vegetables so maybe he would like this!!
Would he be able to tell it isn’t pasta??
In other words, do I fess up in advance or not??
He’ll definitely tell a difference in texture, but I don’t think he’ll balk at the taste. It honestly takes on the flavors of whatever you put with it. Let me know how it works out for you!
I’ve never found spaghetti squash in Canberra! It looks so scrumptious….
That’s so sad! I wish I could ship you one!
I’m going to have to try this. I have all the ingredients and I happen to adore lentils! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you! Let me know if you do – I’d love to see what you think. 🙂
Can you believe I still haven’t tried spaghetti squash?! I must try it ASAP! Looks delicious 😉
Ah! You must try it. I love how it takes on any flavor.
This looks just like the ‘real’ thing!
i love spaghetti squash and itz been too long since i’ve made it! i do like to sub it for regular pasta… i mean the sauce makes the pasta anyway, not the noodles! 🙂
SO true!!! The secret’s in the sauce. 😉
WAIT WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! THIS WAS THE 1st TIME you’ve EVER HAD SPAGHETTI SQUASH?!?!?! OMFG! I just fell over. Excuse me.
I buy 15 pounds at least every 2 days and go through it like a MAD WOMAN!!! I should be in the Olympics for eating Spaghetti Squash!
LOL!!! Dont fall out! This post is from 2011. I’ve been eating it for a few years. 😉
TRICKSTER!!!! I don’t look at dates! ha ha ha.
Schweddy Balls – OMG, I LOVE THAT SKIT!! Laugh at it every time!!! On the stores – friggin ridiculous!!! Man, get a life – it is just getting to crazy out there with all this careful crap!
As for the recipe, I have not had that even though many make it mostly because squash it not a fav of mine. Not that I don’t like it but I just prefer other veggies. I like it if it is in things or flavored with other stuff! 🙂
Really?! One of the reasons I love spaghetti squash so much that it’s blank canvas to play with sauces and toppings.
Looks great! I love making alterna-meatballs! LOL Now I just have to get my hands on a spaghetti squash! They haven’t been very good in my area lately… 🙁
Thanks! With fall coming, they should be getting mo’ better. 🙂