Spaghetti with Lentils

A vegetarian pasta sauce with real substance. Dry lentils simmer for a full hour in a tomato sauce enriched with red wine, basil, oregano, and thyme until they break down into a thick, meaty ragu that clings to every strand of spaghetti. No meat, but you won’t miss it.

The one-hour simmer is doing two things at once. It cooks the lentils until they’re completely tender, and it reduces the tomato sauce into something concentrated and deeply flavored. The tomato paste adds body and richness you can’t get from canned tomatoes alone, and the red wine brings a depth that rounds out the acidity.

Dry lentils go in raw with the liquid, no pre-soaking needed. They absorb the tomato and wine flavors as they cook, which gives the sauce more complexity than if you added pre-cooked lentils at the end. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking as the sauce thickens.

This is budget-friendly, high-protein weeknight cooking at its best. A half cup of dry lentils is pocket change and feeds four people generously.

Chef Tips

• Use brown or green lentils. Red lentils dissolve too quickly and won’t hold any texture
• Stir more frequently toward the end as the sauce thickens to prevent scorching on the bottom
• The sauce should be thick and coating, not soupy. If it’s too thin after an hour, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes
• Save some pasta water to thin the sauce when tossing with the spaghetti

Variations

• Add diced carrots and celery with the onion for a bolognese-style mirepoix base
• Stir in a handful of fresh spinach right before serving for color and nutrition
• Top with grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy finish