Spaghetti with Meat and Lentils (Spaghetti 3)
Servings
6Serving size
2 ounces pasta with about 3/4 cup sauceThis recipe makes great leftovers. Cool, refrigerate, or freeze for a quick meal later.
Serve with Caesar Salad
Ingredients
| 4 ounces Green Lentils |
| 1 1/2 quart Water |
| 1 Tbsp. Olive oil |
| 2 clove Garlic, raw (minced) |
| 1 medium White onions (diced) |
| 1/2 Large Red bell peppers (diced) |
| 1 Large stalk Celery, raw (diced) |
| 8 Ounce Mushrooms, white, raw (minced) |
| 8 ounces 90/10 Ground beef |
| 1 15-ounce can No salt added tomato sauce |
| 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce |
| 1/2 tsp. Salt |
| 1 1/2 tsp., leaves Dried basil |
| 1 tsp., leaves Dried oregano |
| 3/4 tsp. Dried marjoram |
| 1/4 tsp., leaves Dried thyme |
| 4 quart Water |
| 12 ounce Whole wheat Spaghetti (or linguine)(or gluten-free pasta) |
Instructions
Place 1 1/2 quarts water in a medium-sized pot over high heat.
When the water boils, add the lentils.
Cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain the lentils, rinse, and set aside.
Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir frequently.
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the pepper and celery and cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently.
Add the mushrooms and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the beef and break it up with a wooden or metal spoon as it cooks. Continue to cook until no pink remains.
Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and cooked lentils.
Stir and cover.
Simmer for about 30 minutes over medium low heat. Stir occasionally. Add water 1/2 cup at a time if the sauce is too thick.
Place the 4 quarts water in a large stock pot over high heat.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.
Drain and serve the pasta with the sauce.
Serve this recipe with one of these vegetable side dishes.
Caesar Salad
Place the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, lemon juice, mustard, honey, parmesan cheese, and yogurt in a blender or mini-chopper and process until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours. Rinse the lettuce, drain, and dry in a salad spinner or patting gently with paper towels. Slice the lettuce crosswise and…
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe contains cheese and some of those who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate it.
Recipe Notes
This is a terrific spaghetti sauce. The combination of the mushrooms and lentils with the ground beef makes for a rich, thick sauce with a meaty texture. Getting more plants into your meals is super simple.
The slow simmering of the mushrooms and the tomato sauce along with the Worcestershire sauce really ramps up the umami flavor. In short: a rich, savory spaghetti sauce. Simple, delicious, and great for you.
If you are making this in advance, you can precook the pasta. Drain and rinse and then toss with about a teaspoon of olive oil.
You can also use three teaspoons of an Italian Spice blend instead of the individual herbs.