Lentil-Spinach Pasta

A comforting pasta dish featuring tender pasta tossed with a rich, tomato-based sauce, red lentils for added protein, and fresh spinach, creating a warm and satisfying meal.

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 20 min
• Total: 30 min
• Servings: 4.5
• Cuisine: Italian
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $3.06/serving

Dietary

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• comfort food
• healthy
• quick

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 1.5 cup red lentils (rinsed)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
• 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounce dry pasta
• 5 ounce fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, red lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add dry pasta to the pot, stir well, and continue to simmer, covered, until pasta is al dente and lentils are tender, about 8-10 minutes (refer to pasta package directions). Add a splash more broth if needed.
4. Stir in fresh spinach and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Serve hot.

Notes

For an even richer flavor, you can add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast when you add the spinach.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 490
• Protein: 24.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 83.1 g
• Fat: 6.3 g
• Fiber: 15.7 g
• Sodium: 760 mg
• Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
• Sugar: 10.5 g