It’s easy to put together, super filling and ideal after a hardcore workout.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 2serves
Ingredients
2tbspolive oil
1red onionsmall, finely diced
3garlic cloveslarge, finely diced
1carrotvery finely diced
1celery stalkvery finely diced
12cherry tomatoeshalved
1/4cupdry small green or puy lentilscooked
6sun-dried tomatoes
25ghandful
basilto taste plus to serve
3tbsptomato sauce
1/4tsphot chilli powder
grated nutmegto taste
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1tspsugaroptional
salt and pepperto taste
200gwholemeal spaghettigluten-free for GF version
Instructions
Boil a big pot of water for the pasta. Heat up olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add diced onion to the pan and fry on a low heat until soft, then add in diced carrot and celery. Fry until soft, stirring frequently. Finally add in garlic and sauté until it softens and becomes fragrant.
Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Once pasta water has come to the boil, ladle out a small amount of boiling water and pour it over your dried tomatoes. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes. This will soften them. Cook your pasta in the remaining water until nearly al dente, drain and set aside.
Chop softened sun-dried tomatoes roughly and put them into a pestle and mortar. Pound them into a paste. Add walnuts and chopped basil leaves and work them into the sun-dried tomatoes. Add a bit of olive oil or water (if you don’t want to use too much oil in your meals) to help you work this quick pesto better.
Move mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery and garlic mixture) to the side of the pan and place cherry tomatoes on the pan, cut side down. Let them cook for about a minute, then add pesto in, cooked lentils, a bit of tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, chilli and sugar to taste.
Add cooked pasta to the pan. Toss it in the sauce, let it warm up for a minute and serve.