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Lentil Pasta

This lentil pasta is a fantastic hearty and "meaty" vegan dish that is always a crowd pleaser with meat eaters. It also freezes well for leftovers.

Prep Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 8
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

  • 10 cups filtered water
  • 2 cups green lentils
  • 2 cups roughly chopped tomato 
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon  pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons  Celtic sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion 
  • 1 tablespoon  minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil 
  • 1 teaspoon  dried oregano
  • 1/4  teaspoon  red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 2 cups diced carrot 
  • 1/2 cup diced celery 
  • 1 cup diced zucchini 
  • 1 cup shredded broccoli stalks
  • 5 cups  vegetable broth, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 
  • 1 pack gluten-free spaghetti 
  • Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the lentils in the 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt for 30 minutes until just cooked. Drain, and set aside. 
  2. While the lentils are cooking, throw the fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper into the blender, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds until well combined. Set aside. 
  3. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil, and sauté the onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add in the carrots and celery, and sauté for a further 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the zucchini, broccoli, blended tomato mixture, broth, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add in the cooked lentils, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the vegetables are cooked through. You may need to add more broth.
  4. Once the broth has been absorbed, stir in the parsley, and set aside. 
  5. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet until al dente, and drain. 
  6. Toss the sauce through the pasta, season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add fresh lemon juice to taste, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Recipe Notes

Photo by Trent Lanz, and styling by Alicia Buszczak