40 g (1 1/2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve (or vegetarian alternative)
Small handful basil, shredded, plus extra leaves to garnish
60 g (2 1/2oz) fresh white or brown breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
For the sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch sugar
Directions
Step 1Drain and rinse the lentils. Leave in sieve to drain well again. Trim the courgettes and coarsely grate. Lift up handfuls over the sink and squeeze firmly to remove all excess moisture. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Add courgettes to a bowl and mix in the egg, garlic, Parmesan, basil, breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning.
Step 2Whizz the lentils in a food processor until fairly smooth, then add to the courgette bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into 16 walnut-sized balls.
Step 3Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry balls, carefully turning occasionally (they will be fairly soft), until golden, about 15min. Set aside (still in pan).
Step 4Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a separate pan, heat the oil over low-medium heat and gently fry onion for 10min until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients with some seasoning and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5min.
Step 5Add the sauce to the meatball pan and gently heat through. Serve with pasta, rice or cooked buckwheat, as we have, and garnish with basil. Sprinkle over extra Parmesan, if you like.
PER SERVING (without buckwheat):
Calories: 250cals
Protein: 15g
Fat: 9g
Sat fat: 3g
Carbs: 25g
Sugars: 8g
Fibre: 6g
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The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
