California Walnut Meatless Meatballs

California Walnut Meatless Meatballs

Explore the possibilities of plant-based goodness with these California Walnut Meatless Meatballs! These meatballs are made with nutritious ingredients such as walnuts, brown rice, roasted red peppers, and tomato paste. These ingredients provide healthy fats, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber to create a balanced dish that will leave you feeling satisfied. Additionally, these meatballs offer a lot of versatility in the kitchen as they can be served with pasta, eaten on a sandwich, or even added to salads! 

This recipe has a plethora of health benefits from the walnuts and brown rice, but it also packs a punch when it comes to disease prevention. Tomatoes contain lycopene—a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their vibrant red color and has various health benefits–which plays an integral role in the improvement of heart health, protection from the sun, and reduction in certain types of cancer. The incorporation of lycopene-rich foods, especially tomato-based products, have been shown to boost overall health. Due to the antioxidant properties found in tomatoes, lycopene is readily absorbed from tomato products. When food is readily absorbed by your body, it aids in gut health and digestion. Therefore, the correlation between lycopene, antioxidant powers, and tomatoes is strong, and researchers suggest that tomatoes can play a crucial role in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

So, what are you waiting for? Whip these up for your next Meatless Monday and watch them disappear. With so many complex flavors and satisfying ingredients, you won’t even miss the meat!

Get the full recipe for California Walnut Meatless Meatballs by visiting our friends at California Walnuts.

Check out some delicious recipes featuring canned tomatoes:

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Compote
Easy Chicken Curry
Pizza Stuffed Chicken
The BEST BLT Dip

Meatless Lasagna

Meatless Lasagna

Meatless Lasagna

Serves: 10
 
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 small wedge (1/10 of lasagna): 256 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 31 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 9 g sugar, 7 g fiber, 718 mg sodium
Ingredients
  • 14 WHOLE WHEAT LASAGNA NOODLES
  • 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
  • 1 ½ CUPS FINELY CHOPPED BELL PEPPER
  • 2 CUPS FINELY CHOPPED EGGPLANT
  • 4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
  • 3 CUPS SLICED MUSHROOMS
  • 2 – 6 OZ. PACKAGES PRE-WASHED BABY SPINACH
  • 2 TBSP. SNIPPED FRESH BASIL
  • 1 EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN
  • 1 – 15 OZ. CARTON FAT-FREE RICOTTA CHEESE
  • ⅓ CUPS FINELY SHREDDED PARMESAN CHEESE
  • ½ TSP. SALT
  • ¼ TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER
  • 1 – 26 OZ. JAR TOMATO AND BASIL PASTA SAUCE
  • 2 CUPS SHREDDED NON-FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE
 
Instructions
  1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES. AFTER COOKING LASAGNA NOODLES ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS, DRAIN THEM AND RINSE WITH COLD WATER.
  2. HEAT 1 TABLESPOON OF THE OLIVE OIL IN A LARGE SKILLET OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. ADD BELL PEPPER, EGGPLANT AND HALF OF THE GARLIC. COOK AND STIR ABOUT 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL VEGETABLES ARE CRISP-TENDER. TRANSFER VEGETABLE MIXTURE INTO A LARGE BOWL.
  3. USING THE SAME SKILLET, ADD THE REMAINING OIL AND HEAT OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. ADD MUSHROOMS AND REMAINING GARLIC. COOK AND STIR UNTIL TENDER (ABOUT 5 MINUTES). ADD THE SPINACH GRADUALLY, STIRRING UNTIL SPINACH IS WILTED (1-2 MINUTES). TRANSFER SPINACH-MUSHROOM MIXTURE FROM SKILLET TO ANOTHER LARGE BOWL. STIR BASIL INTO SPINACH-MUSHROOM MIXTURE AND SET ASIDE.
  4. STIR TOGETHER EGG, RICOTTA CHEESE, SALT, AND PEPPER IN A SMALL BOWL AND SET TO THE SIDE.
  5. USING A 9 X 13-INCH SPRINGFORM PAN (IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SPRINGFORM PAN, A REGULAR ONE IS FINE, JUST SPRAY IT WITH COOKING SPRAY AS WE DID HERE. FYI IT MAY NOT TURN OUT QUITE AS PRETTY, BUT IT’S STILL DELICIOUS!), SPREAD ½ CUP OF PASTA SAUCE. ARRANGE ONE THIN LAYER OF NOODLES (ABOUT 3-4 NOODLES) OVER THE SAUCE, TRIMMING AND OVERLAPPING IF NECESSARY. PLACE HALF OF THE SPINACH-MUSHROOM MIXTURE ON TOP. THEN ADD HALF OF THE RICOTTA CHEESE MIXTURE OVER SPINACH MIXTURE. THEN LAYER THE NOODLES AGAIN. NEXT, SPREAD HALF OF THE REMAINING PASTA SAUCE. TOP WITH ALL OF THE VEGETABLE MIXTURE. SPRINKLE WITH HALF THE MOZZARELLA CHEESE. THEN, ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF NOODLES AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE SPINACH-MUSHROOM MIXTURE AND RICOTTA CHEESE MIXTURE. LASTLY, TOP WITH NOODLES AND REMAINING SAUCE. GENTLY PRESS DOWN ON THE LASAGNA USING THE BACK OF A SPATULA.
  6. PLACE SPRINGFORM PAN ON A FOIL-LINED BAKING SHEET. BAKE FOR 45 MINUTES AND REMOVE FROM OVEN. SPRINKLE WITH REMAINING MOZZARELLA CHEESE AND WITH PARMESAN CHEESE BAKE FOR ANOTHER 15 MINUTES. SET ASIDE AND COOL FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. TO SERVE, CUT INTO WEDGES.
 
 
 
 


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