This sauce is inspired by the Sicilian dish caponata, but with the salty and sour elements stirred in at the end. When cooking lentils, don't add acidity and salt too early as it can prevent them from becoming tender – good to remember if you’re substituting them for meat or veg in your favourite recipes
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
See more of Sarah Cook’s recipes
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
See more of Sarah Cook’s recipes
Subscribe to Sainsbury’s magazine
Rate this recipe
Print
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g large vine tomatoes, diced
100g sundried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
25g tomato purée
1 tsp caster or granulated sugar
125g dried Puy lentils, washed and drained
300g wholewheat or other spaghetti
50g sultanas
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
150g pitted Kalamata or Queen olives, drained
3 tbsp small capers, rinsed
To serve
handful basil leaves, large ones torn
Parmesan (optional) - use vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, or vegan cheese if required for vegan or dairy-free
Share:
Step by step
Get ahead
Make and store the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 days, or cook a large batch, portion up and freeze
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wide casserole, add the onion and celery and start cooking over a low heat. Cover with a lid, and apart from the occasional stir, leave for 15 minutes until the veg are really soft. Stir in the garlic and fry uncovered for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the fresh and sundried tomatoes, plus the tomato purée, the sugar, lentils and 900ml of water. Simmer fiercely, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are just about tender and the sauce has thickened into a ragu-like sauce. If the lentils are still al dente, add another 100ml water and cook for a further 5 minutes. Cook the pasta following pack instructions.
Add the sultanas and vinegar to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes more. To finish the sauce, chop 50g of the olives and stir through the sauce with half the capers, then season with lots of black pepper and some salt.
To serve, drain the pasta then toss with the lentil sauce. Use tongs to divide the pasta between bowls, spooning leftover sauce over the top. Finally toss together the whole olives, remaining capers and basil and scatter over to finish. Eat with a good grating of Parmesan.
For example, lentil pasta is an excellent alternative to regular pasta because it's high in fiber and protein. Lentils are loaded with folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium. Lentil pasta is rich in fiber. Fiber intake helps reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
There's no need to cook lentils before adding them to a curry that will be cooked for at least half an hour that has enough liquid for the lentils to absorb. This will also give the lentils more flavor than cooking in water separately.
Red lentil pasta is also known to be heart-healthy due to its high fiber content, which can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
It won't reduce the sodium level of your dish, but adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even a tomato product, can neutralize the saltiness of a dish. Start with a dash or a squeeze, stir well to combine, and give it a taste before adding any more.
First, it shouldn't be surprising that chickpea and lentil pastas are commonly more nutrient-dense than regular pasta. “They have twice as much protein, they have four times more fiber,” Bulsiewicz shared.
Think more like you're cooking pasta- you just need significantly more water than lentils. You can also use broth instead of adding an extra layer of flavor. I like adding a bay leaf, an onion cut in half, and a clove of garlic to add flavor to the lentils.
Rinsing lentils will allow you to get rid of any accumulated dust, dirt, small rocks, twigs and possibly bugs that have come along for the ride: you don't want any of that in your food! None of this will hurt you however.
Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes. For split red lentils, cook time is typically only about 5-7 minutes. Be sure to season with salt after cooking – if salt is added before, the lentils will become tough.
Red lentil pasta is a winner in terms of nutrition and glycemic index coming in at 22! ⁴ With the lowest glycemic index of all the pasta listed on this roundup, red lentil pasta won't negatively impact blood glucose levels. Red lentil pasta provides almost all the daily needs for folate and is a great source of iron.
Wholewheat pasta is a better option, thanks to its higher fibre content – this will help to fill you up, support digestive health and lower the risk of the aforementioned conditions.
For example, you can add more pasta and sauce to the dish to distribute the salty flavor. You can also add unsalted cream or milk to cream-based sauces to balance out the saltiness. Another trick is to add a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of brown sugar to counteract the salt.
According to Wolke, while the potato does absorb some of the liquid and therefore tastes salty itself as a result, it doesn't actually remove excess salt any more than dipping in a dry kitchen sponge would.
We asked the experts. To learn more about the best type of pasta for weight loss, we spoke with Lisa Richards, a nutritionist and creator of the Candida Diet. She said that red lentil pasta is by far the best because it is high in dietary fiber and plant-based protein.
"The main benefit with lentil pasta is that the carbohydrates will be absorbed more slowly due to the higher fiber and protein content, having a different impact on blood sugar," McGiffin added. "Slowing absorption can also be achieved with a wheat pasta by combining it with protein and vegetables."
Are there downsides to eating bean or lentil pasta? The high fiber content may be a problem for people who aren't used to eating a high-fiber diet. Plus, beans contain lots of fermentable carbohydrates that are healthy for the gut but hard to digest.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
Prep time: 25 mins
