This vegetarian lentil & zucchini pasta recipe turns a crowd-pleasing pasta dish into an extremely nutritious vegetarian meal.
The twist? It’s even easier to make than traditional spaghetti. Most carb-conscious cooks know to stay away from pasta when on a diet, but there are times when your craving hits, and you have to put your diet on the back burner. It happens to all of us, so the next time you decide to eat carbs, you might want to consider swapping your pizza for this simple lentil and zucchini pasta recipe.
Not only will it provide you with an extra serving of veggies, but you can control the amount of pasta in the meal and know exactly what you’re getting. And when you go into this zucchini pasta recipe knowing that you’re going to be eating a whole lot of vegetables, you might find yourself coming up with new ways to incorporate them into your meals. My personal favorite? Fried zucchini rounds on a sunny-side-up egg. Another favorite? Sautéed zucchini with pine nuts.
Either way, this lentil and zucchini pasta will be easy and scrumptious to make. And the best thing about it is that you can make it so many different ways. In fact, this recipe can be easily customized with different vegetables, and it can also be served cold or hot. I prefer it hot for its silky, smooth texture, but it would be equally as tasty as it would be cold. It’s a win-win in my book!
This lentil and zucchini pasta recipe is sure to please the family. It’s simply the perfect recipe to turn a regular pasta dish into something as nutritious as it is scrumptious. Enjoy!
Lentil and Zucchini Pasta
Equipment
- Spiraliser
- Saucepan
- Tea towel
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tbsp. Itailian herbs
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 2 X 14 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
- 5 oz. canned tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red split lentils
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
- 1/2 tbsp. sugar or maple syrup
- 10 cups zucchini noodles
Instructions
- Spiralise the zucchini into noodles using a spiraliser. Alternatively buy store-bought zucchini noodles. Place the noodles into a large bowl, sprinkle with 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, mix well and set aside to sit.
- Place a saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and sauté the onions for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and spices and stir well for a further minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, red split lentils, vegetable stock or water, and sugar or maple syrup, mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pan and add in the can of tomato paste and the fresh parsley and basil. Cook for another 5 minutes uncovered.
- Take the zucchini noodles and place some of them into the middle of a tea towel. Fold the sides up and grab, slowly twist the tea towel to wring out the excess water into the sink. Do this for all the zucchini noodles and then place into a large frying pan. Cook on high for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodles.
- Once the zucchini noodles are cooked place them into a large bowl and top with sauce. Sprinkle with more fresh herbs and a little parmesan cheese.
Notes
Food Author at Housholdhealthy.com
Based in San Francisco, CA
In my household, food is very important, I care very much about what my two girls and I are putting in our bodies. I love cooking and sharing different tasks with my girls, cooking became a fun activity to do in our family. My goal on Household Healthy is to share my recipe ideas and advice with our moms.
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