September 18, 2024 25 Comments
This lentil pasta sauce is my kind of recipe. It’s delicious, inexpensive, and can be served with just about anything.
Why use lentils instead of minced meat? They are a fraction of the cost and most of the flavour of the tomato sauce is due to the tomatoes. You don’t really need meat (although I admit that meat is quite luxurious).
It’s much better for the planet to eat lentils, so everyone wins: you spend less money and you stop global warming. YES!
My daughter became a vegetarian last year, so I’ve been making all of our family’s favorite meatless dishes. I actually like this sauce better than a typical bolognese because it’s lighter and doesn’t weigh down my stomach.
I also like how easy it is and you can freeze it! Pour it over pasta, eggs, toast, or wherever you want to pour pasta sauce.
For all you Weight Watchers members out there, this recipe is free of points. What do you think? I love that Weight Watchers made lentils a FREE food because they are so good for you.
I have made lentil tacos and lentil burgers with mushrooms with great success.
One of the reasons lentils are better than regular beans is that they are small, so they only take about 15-20 minutes to cook. This makes this recipe work because you can reduce and mix the sauce while you cook the lentils. Then, you simply add the lentils when they are done.
I love them in a curry called dal. I could eat it every day with rice and be totally satisfied. Dal is something I order in restaurants, but I should make it! What am I waiting for?
Do you use lentils instead of beef? What recipes work for you?
Lentil Pasta Sauce Recipe
Makes 10 cups
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1-28 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry lentils
Instructions
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent for about four minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, parsley, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, add the lentils to a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are tender, and drain.
When the sauce is ready, mix it with the cooked lentils and serve. Enjoy it with pasta, roasted vegetables or toast.
Nutritional data
For a cup = 127 calories, 2 grams fat, 0.3 grams saturated fat, 20.6 grams carbohydrates, 6.1 grams sugar, 7.3 grams protein, 9.1 grams fiber, 221 mg sodium, 0 points freestyle
Point values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for informational purposes only. See all Snack Girl recipes
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