Lentil and tuna meatballs offer a tasty and different way to bring legumes to the table, even when temperatures start to rise and you have little desire for steaming soups.
This can give a new and appealing look to what might just be leftover lentil soup, in addition to enriching it with tasty ingredients like cheese and tuna.
I present the baked version, more suitable for children and those who wish to eat healthier, although it’s clear they’re very good fried.
Excellent as a main course, when serving them I recommend adding a drizzle of raw olive oil and a splash of a few drops of lemon, which as is known, aids the absorption of the iron contained in the legumes.
Making them smaller can also be a cute idea for an appetizer that’s different from the usual.
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- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 661.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 86.42 (g) of which sugars 4.00 (g)
- Proteins 46.17 (g)
- Fat 15.33 (g) of which saturated 4.53 (g)of which unsaturated 5.97 (g)
- Fibers 12.24 (g)
- Sodium 620.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 140 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz lentils (cooked and dry)
- 4.2 oz canned tuna in oil
- 0.2 cup Parmesan Reggiano DOP (or grated Grana)
- 0.5 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- to taste parsley
- to taste fine salt
- black pepper (freshly ground)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Oven Tray 13.8×9.8 inches
- Food Mill
- Blender / Mixer
- Kitchen Scale
- Spatula
Preparation
To prepare lentil and tuna meatballs, you can use leftovers from lentil soup cooked normally with onion, carrots, celery, and salted. (For the lentil soup recipe click here).
The lentils should naturally be almost dry, from a non-watery soup, but rather reduced, which also enhances the taste.
To obtain a puree, I usually pass them through a food mill, which removes the lentil skins, making them more digestible.
Alternatively, they can also be blended.
In a bowl, combine the lentil puree, a can of drained tuna, an egg, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs soaked in warm water, squeezed, and crumbled for softness, and a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs (about 2 oz) to achieve the desired consistency, fine salt, and black pepper.
Mix and then make about 1.4 oz flattened balls; if you want them all the same size, use a scale.
Roll the obtained meatballs in breadcrumbs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Bake at 356°F in a preheated, fan-assisted oven for about 30 minutes, in the center of the oven. Turn halfway through cooking with a spatula.
For a more golden finish, switch the oven to grill function a few minutes before finishing cooking and raise the tray closer to the heat source.
Lentil and tuna meatballs are now ready.
Serve hot with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of lemon.
Recommended pairing with a crunchy and fresh salad.
Storage
In the fridge well closed, for 1/2 days. To renew the flavor, reheat the meatballs before consuming them.
In the fridge well closed, for 1/2 days. To renew the flavor, reheat the meatballs before consuming them.
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