📂 Rice & Pasta
#Rice and Pasta
#Vegan
#Gluten-Free
#High Protein
Red Lentil Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce and Oregano
🍝 Your favorite pasta dish, redesigned. Protein-rich and gluten-free red lentil spirals, wrapped in a rustic tomato sauce.
🛒 Ingredients
- 5.3 oz Red lentil pasta
- 13.5 fl oz Crushed tomato
- 1 Onion
- 2 Garlic cloves
- Dry oregano
- 1 tbsp EVOO
🍝 Lentil Pasta: The Evolution of Pasta
If you love a good pasta dish but are concerned about refined carbohydrates or gluten, pasta made with legume flour (like red lentil) is a revolution. It has an excellent texture and its nutritional profile is infinitely superior to wheat pasta. We will accompany it with the healthiest and most timeless sauce: a good homemade tomato scented with oregano.
🍅 Why it is exceptionally healthy
- Double Protein: Red lentil pasta contains almost triple the protein of normal pasta (about 25g per 100g), making it a satiating dish on its own, without needing to add meat.
- Zero Refined Flours: Gluten-free and free of insulin spikes, this pasta releases its energy slowly, perfect for athletes or low glycemic index diets.
- Base Lycopene: A homemade tomato sauce simmered slowly concentrates lycopene, a potent cellular antioxidant and heart protector.
📝 Step-by-Step Preparation
- The Sauce Sofrito: Chop 1 medium onion and 2 garlic cloves. In a large skillet, put 1 tbsp (15ml) of EVOO and slowly sweat the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- The Tomato: Add 13.5 fl oz (400ml) of crushed natural tomato (or grated natural plum tomatoes) to the skillet. Add salt, black pepper, 1 generous teaspoon of dry oregano, and a pinch of erythritol or stevia to kill the acidity.
- The Reduction: Lower the heat and let the tomato simmer uncovered for at least 15-20 minutes, until it loses much of its water and becomes a thick, deep red sauce.
- Meticulous Cooking: While the sauce reduces, put a pot with plenty of salted water to boil. Add 5.3 oz (150g) of red lentil pasta (spirals or macaroni). Careful: it cooks much faster than wheat pasta (usually takes 5-7 minutes). Watch it closely and drain it a minute before it's soft, so it remains al dente.
- The Fusion: Dump the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the hot tomato sauce. Mix everything for a minute over the heat so the pasta absorbs the sauce.
- The Final Touch: Serve hot and sprinkle some fresh basil leaves or a little grated parmesan cheese if you wish.
