Whether you are vegetarian or just looking to cut down on your meat consumption. This easy and nutritious creamy tomato and lentil pasta recipe is for you. Red lentils are split and cook quickly. They are a fantastic source of protein to help bulk up a meatless meal. Red lentils can help you increase your daily iron and fiber intake. Another advantage is that they are inexpensive and are easy to find in most supermarkets. You can also cook lentils in big batches and use them for lunch or dinner throughout the week, as they will last for up to 5 days in your fridge. I love pasta dishes as they are so versatile, and you can customize them to suit your own tastes. For this dish, I used fettuccine also known as “little ribbons” in Italian. This long pasta cut meanders around the delicious tomato and lentil sauce beautifully. Lastly,garnish the dish with fresh basil leaves, this will delicately perfume the entire dish for extra flavor. These fresh basil leaves are the last of the season from my basil plant. You can buy these fresh from the supermarket or you can use dried basil.
Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
- 8oz Fettuccine
- 1.5 cup red lentils
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 12oz tomato paste
- 1.5 cup vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 18 fresh basil leaves
- a pinch pepper
- a pinch of salt
Steps:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Mince the garlic cloves and dice onions finely.
- Wash and rinse red lentils in a sieve.
- In a large pot saute the garlic and onion until browned.
- Add lentils and vegetable stock. Cook until the lentils are tender.
- Then add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
- Mix gently coat the lentils in the sauce. Add water if required if the sauce is too thick.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
- Layer the cooked fettuccine pasta on a plate, ladle on the lentil sauce on top, garnish with basil and your favorite cheese.
- Enjoy.
Wee Wooden Spoon 