Red Lentil Pasta Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.My healthy one pot red lentil pasta recipe is the ultimate easy vegetarian meal that is packed with protein, naturally gluten-free, and ready in just 30 minutes. Made with rich marinara sauce combined with nutritious vegetables, it’s ideal for anyone looking to make a wholesome, balanced meal that’s perfect for the whole family!
If you’re looking for a great way to sneak veggies in when you have picky eaters in your family then my homemade red lentil pasta is just what you need! It’s a delicious, hearty, plant based pasta dish filled with veggies that no one will ever even notice!
Plus, using pasta made from lentils turns my recipe into a gluten free meal (and a better option than brown rice pasta which isn’t as nutrient packed), making it allergen friendly too!
I guarantee once you try my red lentil penne recipe, it will become one of those dishes you make again and again. It’s perfect for both lunch and dinner and works great as leftovers too.
✔️ What Is Lentil Pasta?
Lentil based pasta is a gluten free, healthy, traditional pasta alternative. It’s typically a dried pasta, made with red lentils (red lentil flour). You can also find varieties made with green lentils, or other beans like chickpeas or even edamame!
But is lentil pasta healthy? Yes! The best lentil pasta has just one simple ingredient: lentils. It also typically has twice the protein and fiber of regular pasta with less carbs! It can be a great option if you have a gluten intolerance, as it’s completely gluten free.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
My red lentil penne pasta recipe is a delicious family favorite full of veggies. With red bell peppers, spinach, and garlic combined with tomato sauce, Italian spices, and crushed red pepper, it’s a twist on traditional pasta primavera that both kids and adults will love.
Recipes with red lentil pasta are incredibly healthy. Each serving of my recipe is only about 300 calories but has 23 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber. The vegetables hidden in the sauce also add a ton of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients.
I like to think of my sauce as a semi-homemade version – since I combine store-bought sauce with those secret veggies and then amp up the flavor so that it tastes way better than just regular pasta sauce!
My recipe is filling and nourishing, packed with Italian herbs, and just slightly spiced so that it’s flavorful without being overpowering.
I also love that lentil pasta is typically naturally gluten free and lower in carbs compared to traditional pasta. Plus, it can easily be made vegan making it perfect for all dietary preferences.
But the best part is that my healthy red lentil pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes, making it the ultimate dinner recipe for someone short on time. With minimal prep time and basic ingredients, you can quickly whip up a wholesome and satisfying meal!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
My one pot lentil pasta is made with simple ingredients, easily found at your local grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts and nutritional information.
Olive Oil: Used for sauteeing the veggies and adding healthy fats, it also gives my red sauce great flavor.
Fresh Veggies: I use a combination of baby spinach, bell peppers, onion, and zucchini to create a superfood marinara sauce! But you can use all kinds of vegetables such as carrots, yellow squash, brussels sprouts, or even root veggies. It’s a great way to use veggies in your fridge!
Lentil Pasta: I’ve used Barilla red lentil pasta quite a few times because it’s easy to find, but you can use any brand of lentil based pasta for this recipe. Some of my other favorites are the Trader Joe’s Red Lentil Pasta or Tolerant Lentil Pasta. You could even make this a red lentil rotini recipe if you can’t find penne. Additionally, any type of lentil flour pasta will work—brown lentils, green lentil pasta, chickpea pasta, or any legume/protein pasta. Legume pasta has become so popular these days that you can pretty much find it at any grocery store and even online!
Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce: When deciding what sauce goes with red lentil pasta, I went with a rich tomato basil. I like Cucina Antica’s sauces, but you can use any jarred sauce you like! You can use crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato paste mixed with vegetable broth.
Spices: I used a mixture of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Don’t skimp on the seasonings—they give this dish that comforting Italian flavor. You can also use fresh herbs or black pepper.
Parmesan Cheese: Optional, but I highly recommend adding this for a layer of cheesy goodness. To make the dish vegan, you can omit the cheese, use vegan Parmesan cheese, or add sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
🔪 How To Make Lentil Pasta
Learning how to cook red lentil pasta is so easy that even beginner cooks can make this dish with no problem. Watch my video below to see the process step-by-step!
Cook The Pasta & Veggies: To begin, I bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook it according to the package directions until slightly al dente. Then I drain the pasta and set it aside.
While the pasta is cooking, I add some olive oil to a large pot or large skillet and sauté the onion and garlic over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until caramelized. Then I add the rest of the chopped vegetables and spices, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Make The Sauce: Once cooked, I purée the vegetable mixture with one jar of sauce in a blender. I like my red lentil pasta sauce smooth, but feel free to leave a few chunks if you prefer.
Mix Pasta & Sauce: When ready, I combine the cooked pasta with the sauce mixture and simmer for just a couple minutes until all the flavors meld.
Serve: After the dish is complete, I top it with parmesan cheese, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve warm!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for my red lentil penne recipe is not to overcook the pasta. Keeping the pasta slightly al dente is crucial. Overcooked lentil based pasta can become super mushy and won’t hold up as well when mixed with the sauce – it might even just fall apart completely and you won’t be able to distinguish it from the sauce!
Typically what I’ll do is cook the pasta 1 minute less than the time listed on the box, tasting for done-ness as I go – to get the perfect bite.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Use Plenty Of Water: To ensure the lentil penne pasta cooks evenly, I use plenty of water and a large stock pot so there is enough room for the pasta to expand while it cooks.
- Rapid Boil: For best results, bring the water to a rapid boil before adding the pasta. As soon as I drop the pasta in the water, I stir it. This prevents the pasta from sticking together or to the sides of the pot.
- Don’t Rinse The Pasta: After boiling, I don’t rinse the pasta. Rinsing can wash away the starches that help the sauce adhere to the pasta, so it’s best to toss it directly with the sauce.
- Blending the Sauce: If you prefer a smoother sauce, blend the cooked vegetable mixture with the marinara sauce until smooth. For a chunkier texture, blend just a portion of the mixture.
📖 Variations
Vegan: I’ll make vegan lentil pasta by using vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast instead of regular parmesan. If you don’t want a cheesy flavor, try a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, coconut milk, or coconut cream instead. Also, make sure the pasta you buy is egg free.
Add Fresh Herbs: I love to garnish this dish with some fresh basil, fresh oregano, or rosemary.
Add Texture: Try sprinkling some pine nuts or sliced almonds on top for a crunchy finish. Sliced black olives also add delicious flavor and texture.
Other Sauces: The best sauce for red lentil pasta is really whatever suits your taste. My alfredo sauce without heavy cream or my vegan bechamel both taste delicious in place of the tomato sauce.
High Protein: This dish is already full of protein but for a really high protein lentil pasta recipe I’ll toss in some veggie sausage or my high protein tofu meatballs.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I love this dish as a one pot meal, but it’s also wonderful paired with a salad and bread or even served as a side dish! Here are just a few red lentil pasta recipe ideas:
With Salads: Pair it with my refreshing tomato avocado cucumber salad packed with leafy greens, or this heartier roasted cauliflower salad. You could also keep it light and simple with a green salad tossed with my vegan Italian dressing.
With Bread: Serve this dish with a baguette or my air fryer vegan garlic bread. Both are perfect for sopping up the sauce. My lentil penne pasta recipe is also wonderful with this low calorie gluten free bread.
With Sides: I like to enhance this meal with my Italian ratatouille, which can also double as a sauce alternative. It’s also really yummy with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts or steamed broccoli.
With Entrees: I sometimes turn this red lentil penne recipe into a side to go with entrees. It’s a great accompaniment to my vegan schnitzel, vegan turkey, or vegan gluten free eggplant parmesan.
🧊 Storage Directions
Meal Prep: Prepare the sauce and cook the pasta, and then store them separately in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, combine and reheat on the stove until warmed through. My red lentil pasta recipe is great for meal prep.
Fridge: After the pasta has cooled, I transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Freezer: You can also make my red lentil penne recipe and freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. I recommend separating it into individual portions in freezer safe sealed containers. Then just let it thaw in the fridge overnight before warming on the stove or microwave before you’re ready to eat it.
Reheating: When ready, I reheat the pasta in a skillet on the stove over medium heat or covered in the microwave.
❓Recipe FAQs
If your sauce is too thick, just add a little vegetable broth or pasta water to thin it out. Add it slowly, and stir after each time you add a little more broth/water to ensure you get the consistency you want.
The exact amount of water needed may vary depending on the brand of pasta you use, but I’ll typically just get a large stock pot and fill it up about 2/3 of the way full (which is about 4-6 quarts of water).
Your pasta may be mushy due to overcooking. To avoid this, cook until just al dente. Additionally, ensure you use plenty of water and bring it to a rapid boil before adding the pasta. Stir the pasta occasionally while cooking, and drain it immediately once it’s done. Avoid rinsing the pasta under water after draining, as this can also affect the texture.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Picky Eater.
Love this Vegetarian Italian recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!
📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Red Lentil Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Lentil penne pasta
- 25 ounces Jarred marinara sauce
- 6 ounces Baby spinach chopped
- 2 Red bell peppers diced
- ¼ Red onion diced
- 1 Zucchini diced
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 2-3 tsp Italian seasoning more or less to taste
- ½ tsp Salt more to taste
- ⅛ tsp Crushed red pepper more to taste
- 8 tbsp Parmesan cheese use 2 tbsp per serving
Equipment
- stock
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- In a medium sized pot, saute the peppers, onion, zucchini, spinach, garlic and spices (italian seasoning, salt, crushed red pepper) for about 5-10 minutes until soft.
- Combine the cooked veggie mixture with 1 jar of Marinara Sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. (Alternatively you can add the red sauce to the pot, and use an immersion blender to blend it together).
- Combine the cooked pasta with the superfood sauce mixture. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
- Use plenty of water so there is enough room for the pasta to expand while it cooks.
- Bring water to a rapid boil before adding the pasta.
- As soon as you drop your pasta in the water, stir it. This prevents the pasta from sticking together or to the sides of the pot.
- For added texture and protein, try sprinkling some pine nuts on top!
- Serve this pasta with a side salad packed with leafy greens for even more veggies!
So delicious and a perfect way to add extra flavour and healthy goodness to the finished dish.
Yay! Thanks Sisley!
Loved this red lentil pasta! Excited to get that extra nutrition from the lentils in one of my family’s favorite dishes!
Thanks so much Paula!
Oh yum! This was so good and got the thumbs up from my picky eater kids as well! Great recipe, thanks.
Awesome! So happy to hear that Angela!
I love this recipe! I made a lot last night and it was gone so quick! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Woohoo! Thanks for letting me know Cathleen!
This high protein, low carb, healthier and delicious pasta dish is perfect for my family.
Awesome! Thanks Andrea!