Vegan Lentil Meatballs

-1 Preheat your oven to 375 F. 
-1 In a saucepan, saute the diced onion on medium heat in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent, for about 5 minutes.  
-1 Toss in the crushed garlic and stir on a low flame for 1-2 minutes. 
-1 Remove from heat and place the onion and garlic mixture into a bowl with the lentils. Using a fork or masher, mash the lentils until a paste forms. You can leave some lentils in pieces. 
-1 Add in the breadcrumbs, flax egg, tomato paste, soy sauce, and spices. Mix well until a dough forms. 
-1 Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp worth of dough into the palm of your hands and form into balls. Layer them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Your mixture should be easy to roll and not too wet. If it is, add 1-2 more tbsp of breadcrumbs. 
-1 Spray the meatballs with cooking spray, and bake for 25 minutes- flip each one halfway through. 
-1 While that bakes, prepare your favorite pasta to serve with. 
-1 Once the meatballs are done, serve over your pasta with marinara sauce, and top with nutritional yeast or parmesan! 
-1 Leftovers can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months.