Healthy, Nutrition Packed Pasta, Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce. Vegan and Vegetarian Spaghetti
Who does not love spaghetti? This is one of the meals that I make often, as it is one of my son’s favorites. We usually have leftovers for lunch the next day, so one meal turns into two or three meals.
I wanted to provide a more healthy version of spaghetti for my son’s diet. So, I set out to design a recipe with more nutritious and healthy ingredients. Now we can enjoy this spaghetti in tomato sauce and feel good about it!
In choosing ingredients I had to remember that I wanted this to be healthy but I also wanted it to still taste like spaghetti with tomato sauce! After trying a few things out, I decided to go with adding lentils and carrots to the sauce. Their flavor is mild and can hardly be noticed when they are blended up with the other ingredients in the sauce. They add so much nutrition to this tomato sauce. We’ re talking protein, fiber, vitamin, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. All of this is in addition to the antioxidants from the oregano and the tomato paste!
I am using the 100 % whole wheat pasta today, but I have used edamame, lentil, quinoa, cauliflower, or veggie pasta. This recipe is one of my favorite vegetarian or vegan spaghetti!
Ingredients:
½ cup of yellow or orange split lentils preferably organic
½ pound of carrots
½ teaspoon of salt to cook the lentils
Two pounds of ripe tomatoes
One tablespoon of olive oil
Three to four teaspoons of large, dry oregano leaves. If you have fine, grounded oregano you only need two teaspoons.
Three to five garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt to add the tomatoes sauce
Three cups of water to cook the lentils
Two tablespoons of tomato paste
Dry and fresh oregano to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle when serving
One pound, 16 oz of Whole Wheat Spaghetti, or you can use edamame, lentil, chickpea, or veggie pasta!
Directions:
Peel the skin off the carrots and cut into small 0.25-inch thin circles.
To a pressure cooker or regular pot, add the 3 cups of water, rinsed yellow or orange split lentils, ½ teaspoon of salt, and chopped garlic cloves. If using a pressure cooker, let cook for 10 minutes.
If using the conventional method to cook the lentils and carrots, bring 3 to 4 cups of water to boil, add the lentils and the carrots, salt, and chopped garlic, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. When done set aside
Peel the tomatoes. Then skin and dice them.
To a pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and the rest of the garlic.
Let the garlic sizzle for few minutes in the extra virgin olive oil to release its flavor, then add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.
Let it cook for 5 minutes or so for the tomatoes to soften.
While the tomatoes are cooking, purée the lentils, and the carrots.
Take about a cup and half of the lentil and carrots mixture and add it to the tomato sauce. Freeze the rest for later to use in other recipes. Stir and mix well. Let the sauce cook for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes creamy.
Add the oregano to the sauce and let it simmer for a minute to release its flavor in the sauce, then turn off the heat.
It is time to cook the spaghetti. Fill a large pot (or pasta pot) halfway with water, and add a little bit of salt.
I am using organic whole wheat pasta today, but I have used quinoa, bean, cauliflower, lentil, vegetable pasta. Edamame pasta is a good option if you want to cut down the carbs. Bring the water to a boil. Then add your pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pasta is tender. Drain the water from the pasta. Mix a little bit of the tomato sauce with the pasta for the pasta to soak those flavors.
To serve the pasta, place a portion of pasta on a plate. Add the desired amount of tomato sauce to the top of the pasta. Sprinkle dry or fresh oregano, and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the top.
Drizzling the extra virgin olive oil on the top adds a fantastic flavor to the pasta! Enjoy!