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Side view of two dark blue plates filled with spaghetti, protein pasta sauce, fresh tomatoes and parsley, and a few breadsticks.

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.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 398
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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

Equipment

  • Skillet or other flat bottomed pot
  • Pot for cooking pasta
  • Chef’s knife and cutting board
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

  1. Prepare the beans and lentils. Drain and rinse the beans and the lentils.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

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.