A simple pasta sauce made with canned lentils, carrots, celery, and jarred tomato sauce!
We love this quick pasta sauce made with canned lentils. A hearty, protein and fiber-rich pasta that’s perfect for the whole family.
We love canned lentils, but they can be a little harder to find. We grab them at Walmart or Whole Foods, but you can also find them in some grocery stores or online.
Of course, you can also cook lentils from dry, but we prefer the canned option as it makes this pasta sauce so easy for busy weeknights.
How to Make
This lentil pasta sauce comes together so easily.
To make it, cook the onion, carrots, and celery until very softened in olive oil. Add in the canned lentils and your favorite jarred tomato sauce until warmed through. You can use any jarred sauce you want– this is Rao’s marinara sauce, but I also like Trader Joe’s Tomato and Basil sauce and Vero Gusta pasta sauce.
Cook your pasta until al dente, then toss together with the cooked pasta.
I prefer to reserve some pasta water from cooking the pasta and then toss it together with the cooked pasta and the sauce. I then sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese, either regular or dairy-free.
More Lentil Recipes
- Lentil Tots Recipe
- Vegan Tomato Lentil Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Vegan Lentil Tacos
- Spinach and Lentil Enchiladas
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, we’ll send you our free 5-day mini-course on Pediatric Nutrition!
Simple Lentil Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can lentils drained and rinsed
- 1 (24 ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
- 12 ounces linguine, spaghetti or other noodle
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery along with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add in the lentils and pasta sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until hot.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pasta sauce along with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until well-coated. If the sauce is too thick, then add in more of the reserved pasta water.
