Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce

Am I throwing you off with an actual full recipe on a Wednesday? Isn't it leftover night?? Of course it is! I had some Lentil Sauce frozen from my very first Meatless Monday. I promised to share the recipe once I got around to using some of the sauce I had in my freezer. The recipe yields a lot of sauce! I was able to freeze two batches after feeding Sophia, my stepfather, and myself. Add in the fact that lentils are so very filling and you have plenty of servings.

• 2 cups lentils
• 30 oz tomatoes, canned or fresh
• 1 1/2 cups tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 tsp dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp red  pepper or cayenne
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Clean lentils and put in a sauce pan covered with water a 1/2 inch above the lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered and cook for an hour until lentils are tender.
While the lentils are cooking start the sauce.
Combine tomatoes, tomato paste and water in a large saucepan. Start cooking on medium heat. Add salt, oregano, pepper, garlic, and oil when it starts to bubble. Stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
When lentils are cooked, combine with tomato base. Serve over spaghetti or brown rice.


I actually used the cayenne this time. I was so scared that it would be too spicy, but it really didn't seem to add much of a taste. Such a small amount with such a large amount of sauce couldn't have done much.
I used a large can of plum tomatoes. Plum tomatoes were a bad choice. As it was cooking, I had to cut up each tomato. Next time I make this recipe, I will plan to use fresh diced tomatoes. 30oz is just under four cups. I may just round it up to four cups, whats two extra ounces going to hurt? Plus I seriously LOVE tomatoes. They are my absolute favorite food. The only version of tomato I dislike is a sun-dried tomato.

The only complaint I have is the sauce is very thick. Not that I am a fan of watery sauce, but I do like my pasta to have some coating. I had to use more of this sauce than I normally would to keep the pasta from tasting dry. Maybe a bit of vegetable broth would have done the trick? Or a can of diced tomatoes, undrained?

This is one of my favorite Meatless Monday meals I have made yet. The first time I made it, my stepfather surprised me with a visit so I fed him dinner. I was a bit nervous to hear his reaction. It was my first attempt at a vegetarian meal and he can be quite the food critic at times. I was pleasantly surprised when he he liked it, even more so when he told me how the meal reminded him of something his mother would make when he was a child. He told me how lentils and other beans used to be used often to fill bellies with protein, when a family did not have enough money to always put meat on the table. When Sophia was a bit timid to eat the circle things in her sauce, he then told her the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. She actually ate her entire dinner that night, which is a big deal for my child. Even tonight, when we had this dinner without my stepfather, she reminded me that we were eating this meal when Poppy told her the Jack and the Beanstalk story.

I highly recommend trying this meal, not only for Meatless Monday. Today is Wednesday and I did not need meat in my dinner. The lentils are so filling that they are able to cut portion size. It does take a bit of a while to cook, but it is not very hands on. Set it up on the stove and stir a few times. Just be sure the kiddies stay away from the stove!