This red lentil pasta recipe makes a delicious family meal that uses healthy everyday ingredients. It's the perfect blend between chunky pasta and smooth soup,deliciously fillingandslightly spicy.Recipe yield 6 side servings (1 cup) or 4 more generous servings (1.5 cup)
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Course: pasta, Soup
Cuisine: vegan, vegetarian
Keyword: red lentil pasta recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 345kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
1Tbspolive oil
1onion, peeled and diced
1carrot, peeled and diced
1celery stick, diced
1large garlic clove, pressed or minced
½Tbspdried majoram
½Tbsppaprika
½tspcumin
¼ heapedtspcoriander
⅛ - ¼tsp cayenne pepper, or according to taste (optional)
1 ½ cup(260 grams)uncooked red lentils, rinsed*
1cuptomato sauce (aka tomato passata)
1Tbsptomato paste
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or your fav broth)
1bay leaf
1tspfine salt, or according to taste
½ lb(225 grams)short cut pasta (approx 2 cups)
1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, to serve (optional)
Instructions
Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the diced carrot, onion, celery, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is turning translucent (5 minutes).
Add the garlic, the spices and the marjoram. Stir to enhance their flavor for about 1 minute.
Add the red lentils, the tomato paste and the tomato sauce.
Pour in the broth (use only 4 cups, and use the rest later if needed). Add the bay leaf, raise the heat and bring to the a boil. Then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Before adding pasta, taste and and adjust the seasoning (I find that 1 tsp of salt is fine if using low-sodium broth).
Stir in the pasta and cook gently, stirring often, until the pasta is done but still al dente. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more broth as needed and to make sure the pasta is covered by liquid. Keep an eye on it.
Serve with freshly ground pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or lemon juice if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
Lentils: you can use brown or green lentils instead of red lentils, but adjust cooking time as needed.Rinse the lentils: place the lentils in a colander and make sure you pick out any debris or small stone, then give them a good rinse under runny water and drain.Broth: use 4 cups as stated in the recipe than add gradually to thin as needed. Stir often until the water is absorbed, otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of the pot.Sea salt: it's important to adjust the seasoning when the lentils are done and you're about to add pasta, as you never really know how salty the broth is, especially if you used regular broth or chicken broth.Red lentil pasta leftovers: you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a touch of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat or in your microwave. It's not freezable.Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one portion and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.