So the veggie spiralizer obsession continues! I thought that since I did a blog post on how to make zucchini noodles that it would be a little cruel to leave you hanging without something delicious to cover them with. I bet you didn’t know this, but I live with a Bolognese Connoisseur…my wife Derika looooooves Bolognese. Currently, her two favorite places to get Bolognese are Bizarro Italian Cafe in Seattle and the Union Square Cafe in NYC. If you like Bolognese, make sure you hit these places up on your next visit.
I never make Bolognese for Derika, because I don’t think that as a vegetarian I would ever get it right. Lately, I have been trying to eat less soy, so I came up with the idea to add lentils to a simple pasta sauce to give it an additional protein kick. When I got done making it, the sauce kind of looked a little like Bolognese! I ran this recipe by my Bolognese Connoisseur and it got the two thumbs up…heck yes! This sauce is super filling and a little more heartier than just eating plain ole’ pasta sauce. I dumped a bunch of it over my zucchini noodles and ate the heck out of it…so tasty! I have a hard time cooking for 2 and had a ton of Lentil Bolognese left over, so I decided to freeze the rest. It has been snowing buckets in NYC lately and all I want to do is stay home and order carry out or cook at home. This is the current view from my apartment right now…winter wonderland!
So instead of venturing out for dinner, we thawed out and taste tested the frozen version of the Lentil Bolognese, and I think that I actually liked it better. This sauce defrosted like a dream and I think that it was better, because the lentils had a bit more time to hang out in the sauce. We were both happy campers, because we got to enjoy a great meal at home in the comforts of our warm and cozy house…Winning! Now I just need to figure out how I can fit a fireplace in my NYC apartment.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried French Lentils
- 2 Cups Veggie Broth
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1- 28 oz Can Organic Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
- 1 Tsp Dried Basil
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 4 medium zucchini, spiralized into pasta
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Directions
1. Add lentils and 2 cups of broth to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes. If all of your broth evaporates before the lentils are cooked, just add a little more water. The lentils should still be firm and not mushy before you add them to the sauce.
2. Meanwhile, add 1-tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for an additional minute, until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
4. When lentils are done cooking add them to the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 – 10 minutes.
5. In a separate pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zucchini pasta for 5 – 7 minutes, until desired tenderness is achieved. Fresh zucchini will often lose moisture as the zucchini pasta cooks so be sure to drain any liquid that has built up in the pan.
6. Divide the pasta among four plates and top with lentil marinara. Serve hot.
Stay warm out there and try to not spiralize every veggie in your produce drawer with your new veggie spiralizer 🙂
Mari
Sounds great Dani! I don’t think we’ll be able to pull off the zucchini noodles with the triplets, but the sauce sounds pretty easy and yummy!
Dani
Let me know how it turns out. We made it with gluten free noodles the other day and Derika added some ground lamb and said that it was awesome. Hope you are doing well!