Protein Pasta Sauce with White Beans and Lentils
A delicious pasta sauce that comes together in about 30 minutes that is dairy free, egg free, and gluten free! Perfect for busy weeknights.
This white bean and lentil pasta is a current favorite rotation recipe in my kitchen. I love making pasta sauce and this one has the beans and lentils cooked right inside it, making for an easy meal. Depending on the type of pasta that you use, this recipe is totally gluten free friendly and can have even more protein with a red lentil or chickpea pasta noodle!
This recipe is:
- Weeknight dinner friendly
- Full of fiber and protein
- Easy to make
- Dairy free, egg free, nut free, and gluten free naturally!
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients, complete with recipe quantities, please see the recipe box below.
Beans
Here I used my favorite cannellini beans. I really enjoy the soft texture and mild flavor of these beans the best. For the most protein possible, switch to chickpeas. Just make sure to remove the shells from the chickpeas to ensure it won’t overwhelm the sauce with that beany flavor.
Lentils
Red lentils are something I’m starting to really eat more of. They are packed with protein, have a high magnesium content, and are full of fiber. Red lentils cook a lot quicker than brown or green lentils, making them easier to incorporate into a weeknight meal and not needing to rely on a premade ingredient.
Pasta
Spaghetti is my go-to pasta for most meals just because I always have it on hand. But you can use any type of pasta you’d like here, including gluten free options like chickpea pasta or red lentil pasta or brown rice pasta.
Substitutions
- Shallots: You can swap this out for a yellow or Spanish onion, which ever you have on hand.
- Garlic: In place of the garlic cloves, you can use 1-2 teaspoons of dried garlic powder.
- Broth: Any flavored stock or broth will work. I’m always reaching for my Better than Bouillon and have the Vegetarian flavor in my fridge at all times. This is what I use 100% of the time and even add it to things you wouldn’t think of, like a dollop of this in rice in the rice cooker. For this recipe, I used a 1 teaspoon amount in a cup of water.
Instruction Notes
Don’t be afraid to let the shallots get nice and caramelized with the tomato paste and garlic. A lot of the flavor comes from this step.
If your sauce gets done a few minutes before the noodles, just cover the sauce and set it aside. The lentils won’t get over done and mushy.
Recipe Notes
- You can serve this sauce over more than just pasta! Try it over rice, bulgur, couscous, or even quinoa.
- Want to make this creamy? Add a 1/2 cup of your favorite vegan cream to this sauce for a creamy version. I don’t recommend adding coconut cream, however, as it makes it taste only of coconut. Stick with soy cream or cashew cream.
How to Store
Keep any leftover sauce and noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave on microwave safe plates in intervals of 30 seconds until warmed through, or, warm both noodles and sauce in a skillet with a few tablespoons of water over medium heat until warmed through.
What to Serve with this Pasta
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Equipment
- Skillet or other flat bottomed pot
- Pot for cooking pasta
- Chef’s knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 10 oz spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- 2 shallots minced
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar of choice
- 28 oz peeled tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 oz white beans 1 can of beans or 2 cups soaked and cooked beans
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Prepare the beans and lentils. Drain and rinse the beans and the lentils.
- Cook the aromatics. In a large flat bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and the tablespoon of sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes to allow it to slightly caramelize. Then add the garlic, paprika, and tomato paste, cooking for another minute.
- Cook the sauce. Now into the same pot add the chopped tomatoes, white beans, red lentils, dried oregano, nutritional yeast, salt, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, giving it a stir every few minutes to make sure nothing burns.
- Make the noodles. While the sauce is cooking, in a separate pot bring water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package direction. For making spaghetti, my noodles took about 11 minutes to cook. Drain but do not rinse the noodles when they are al dente.
- Combine and serve! Pour a large spoonful of the sauce into the pasta and mix to make sure that all the noodles are lightly coated. Serve on a plate with an extra large scoop of the sauce on top. Enjoy!
Notes
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