An easy one pot vegetarian pasta dinner that the whole family will love! The protein packed cheesy tomato lentil sauce is thick, creamy and comforting. There is minimal chopping, everything cooks in one pan, and it’s on the table in 20 minutes.
So I’m back with another one pot pasta dinner!
My Tomato & Mascarpone One Pot Pasta is my most popular recipe on the blog so this tells me that I’m on to something… who doesn’t need a stash of easy but delicious and comforting weeknight pasta recipes?
Today’s offering is a crowd pleasing pasta with a cheese, tomato and lentil sauce. See how thick and creamy that is?
This reminds me of dinners I used to have as a kid, where macaroni was mixed in with a tomato and meat sauce. But instead of meat, we use a can of healthy, protein packed green lentils here. They just kind of blend in and add some texture, so lentil skeptics needn’t worry.
The sauce is given some extra flavor and a richer texture by melting a bunch of cheese in. A really worthwhile addition with a one pot pasta, where the tomato sauce just doesn’t get a huge amount of time for the flavor to develop and could use that little boost.
My toddler loves this pasta, so I am declaring it kid friendly.
Variations on the Lentil Sauce
I have kept this very simple and I like it that way, but as with any lazy one pot meal, there’s a lot you can do to customize this and make it work better for your family.
Treat it as a base recipe and twist it up! Some ideas…
Mix up the cheese. I used cheddar cheese buy you could use any favorite of your own. The flavor could be amazing with a little blue cheese thrown in.
Add some flavor boosters. Try a jar of red pesto or some red wine.
Add veggies. When you’re cooking the garlic, you add in some mushrooms, peppers, anything you’ve got. Or mix in some spinach right at the end.
How to make this one pot pasta
This is very easy but if you haven’t made a one pot pasta before (where the pasta cooks in the sauce and not in a separate pan), there’s a couple things you’ll want to pay attention to.
The liquid to pasta ratio needs to be just right, because the pasta will soak up a bunch of liquid while it cooks… but you don’t want to use too much or it will end up soupy.
The amount I give in this recipe was right for my particular pasta, which were inexpensive pasta spirals. If you use a really thick pasta with a long cook time (usually the more expensive brands, or shapes like rigatoni), you will probably end up adding some more water during the cooking process. If you use a lighter pasta with a shorter cook time (like macaroni), you should reduce the water you start with to be on the safe side.
As always, there is a full printable recipe card coming your way, but here is a rundown of the process in photos.
You’ll saute your garlic, herbs and lentils briefly before adding your tinned tomatoes and other sauce ingredients.
You’ll add your dry pasta, and then some water. You’ll simmer it until the pasta is cooked.
When the pasta is cooked, you will melt in all of the cheese to create a thick, creamy sauce.
And then serve to some very happy people.
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An easy one pot vegetarian pasta dinner that the whole family will love! The protein packed cheesy tomato lentil sauce is thick, creamy and comforting. There is minimal chopping, everything cooks in one pan, and it’s on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- 1 can of green or brown lentils, drained
- 2 Tblsp tomato paste
- 2 x 400g / 14oz cans of tomatoes (chopped or whole tomatoes both work fine here. If you use whole, just use the wooden spoon to break them up a little when you make the sauce)
- 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 300g (10.5oz) of pasta
- 170g (6oz) of grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
In a large pan, saute your garlic until fragrant. Add the mixed herbs and lentils and mix together for another minute.
Add your tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and sugar to form your tomato sauce.
Add the dried pasta and then fill the tomato can one and a half times with water and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, and let the pasta cook for 10 to 12 minutes (stirring regularly) until it is al dente.
Keep an eye on the pasta. If the sauce in the pan thickens up before the pasta is cooked, add some extra water. Thicker pastas will require more water than thinner, quicker cooking ones. I’ve erred on the side of less water in these instructions, because my pasta was a quick cooking variety. But if, once the pasta is cooked, the sauce is too thin: just keep it on the heat for a few more minutes uncovered until some liquid evaporates. Or you can add some more tomato paste to thicken it up.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
Serve!
Keywords: one pot pasta, pasta with lentil sauce, vegetarian
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