Red lentils and roasted vegetables make this pasta both flavorful and packed with wonderful nutrition! Great for kids and adults looking for a tasty quick meal.
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I’ve been trying to add more meals to my weekly rotation that don’t include meat. A couple main reasons: to save money, and get a wider variety of protein in my family’s diet.
Lentils are such a nutritious protein option, but not always the easiest ingredient for creating new and exciting recipes. This Red lentil pasta is a great way to serve lentils in a way that puts them at the forefront while also "hiding them" with several vegetables and delicious cheese.
What Noodles to Use
I love this recipe with Cellentani noodles. Their shape and texture helps hold the sauce well and they're just fun to eat. You can use any noodle really: penne, bowtie, macaroni, shell, fettuccini... the list goes on. Follow the recipe that shows the portion of cooked noodles to use. If you use a small noodle you might want to use a bit less than in the recipe.
Roasting the Vegetables
It may feel like an excessive step to roast the vegetables in this recipe, but it's also such an important step! For one, you get a different texture with roasted veggies. You also get such a different, richer, and more powerful flavor than if you kept the veggies raw. I wouldn't skip it, but if you do keep them raw then leave a comment below and let me know how it worked!
Best Cheese to Use
I love this recipe with Havarti. It's mellow but still flavorful and creamy when melted in. You can also use parmesan for a bit stronger cheese that will have add more salt to the recipe.
Equipment Used for this Recipe
- Stainless Steel Baking Pan 4-pack set from TeamFar
- Instant Pot Ace Plus Blender (heat safe)
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Red Lentil Pasta
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 6 tablespoon raw red lentils
- 1 cup water
For the Roasted Vegetables
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup multi-colored bell peppers, chopped (orange and red are best)
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1-2 large garlic cloves
- sprinkle of sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- olive oil (to spray on baking sheet and on top of vegetables)
For the Noodles
- 5 cups cooked Cellentani noodles (equals 2 ½ cups raw Cellentani)
For the Sauce (will add to roasted vegetables)
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, packed (or ¾ teaspoon dried parsley)
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste, no salt added
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. If you're using a convection oven no need to preheat.Wash and prep vegetables.
Cook the Lentils
- In a small saucepan add 1 cup water and 6 tablespoon raw lentils. Give them a quick stir to release any sticking on the bottom. Cover and bring to a boil (takes about 8 minutes), then decrease heat to maintain a simmer, stirring occassionally to avoid sticking. Crack the lid slightly and cook for 8 more minutes or until softened. There will be a little excess water which is fine for this recipe and you'll want that liquid later.
Roast Vegetables While the Lentils Cook
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil and lay out all prepared vegetables. Spray again with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast at 450°F for 20-25 minutes.*Option to saute the vegetables stovetop instead. Heat a large skillet on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Toss in prepared vegetables with a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes.
Cook the Noodles While the Vegetables Roast
- Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil. Add 2 ½ cups Cellentani noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl and keep covered to keep warm.
Combining Everything
- Once veggies are done roasting, transfer them to a heat-safe blender. Add all remaining ingredients for the sauce to the blender. Blend until smooth. Immediately add the sauce to the noodles and combine. *Option to transfer roasted veggies to a medium-sized saucepan, add all remaining sauce ingredients, and blend with an emmersion blender)
- Garnish with finely grated Havarti or Parmesan and fresh parsley
- Option to add ground chipotle for heat
Leave a comment and rating, I'd love to hear from you!