I crave pasta by default. At all times. I could eat it all day, everyday. I felt like I had hit a gold mine when I spotted Organic Red Lentil Sedanini walking down Trader Joe’s pasta aisle. I’m not sure when they started carrying it but I’ve been making it a lot the past few weeks since discovery.
Lentils are a HUGE part of my diet since I don’t eat red meat. They provide high levels of iron, as well as fiber, protein, and essential micronutrients. The only ingredient listed on Trader’s Sedanini is organic red lentil flour, which based on my research shouldn’t have anything else mixed in it. The pasta has 13 grams of protein per serving and 15% daily value of iron (regular cooked lentils usually provide more iron).
My boyfriend and I were starving one night and I didn’t feel like settling for whatever, so I whipped this up. After having made it multiple times, I feel really good about the balance of ingredients. I wanted it to be on the chunkier side so I threw in mushrooms, zucchini, and green bell peppers. I also wanted to avoid any dairy and cheese, so I made it creamy with almond milk. Along with some of the other seasonings, this recipe has one of my favorite flavor combos; tomato, green bell pepper, and thyme.
It’s pasta. You can’t go wrong. Give it a shot!
Yield: A lot. It’s a lot. I’d say about 4-5 servings.
Ingredients:
12 oz. bag of Trader Giotto’s Organic Red Lentil Sedanini
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
1 large zucchini, sliced
½ green bell pepper, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
½ cup tomato paste
2½ cup unsweetened almond milk (Note: I like to blend soaked almonds and water — the first step in almond milk — and use that instead of the strained version, to get more texture from the almond bits).
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. olive oil
⅛ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1-2 tsp. salt
pinch of black pepper
Other Stuff You’ll Need:
2 large pans
Directions:
- In a large pan, sauté the mushrooms, green bell peppers, zucchini, and minced garlic in the coconut oil. Close the lid until the vegetables are partially cooked but still have a bite to them.
- Add the almond milk, tomato paste, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir until everything, especially the tomato paste, is well combined. Bring to a simmer.
- In the same pan, add the diced tomato. Adding them in this step keeps them from over-cooking and maintains flavor. Turn the heat off, set the pan aside, and do a little dance. Your sauce is ready!
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions (takes about 7 minutes for al dente).
- Strain the pasta, and toss it in the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pour the sauce on the pasta and stir well. Enjoy!
