Creamy Red Lentil Pasta Sauce with Goat Cheese and Spinach Recipe
This Creamy Red Lentil Pasta Sauce is a wholesome and flavorful dish combining tender red lentils, fresh cherry tomatoes, and silky goat cheese to create a rich, comforting sauce. Perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner, it pairs beautifully with whole wheat pasta and baby spinach for added color and nutrients.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup baby spinach
Pasta
- 8 ounces whole wheat pasta
Instructions
- Heat the Olive Oil: In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat to prepare the base for your sauce.
- Sauté Shallot and Garlic: Add the chopped shallot and minced garlic to the skillet, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
- Add Tomato Paste and Tomatoes: Stir in the tomato paste and halved cherry tomatoes, cooking for another 2 minutes to blend the flavors and coat the vegetables.
- Combine Broth and Lentils: Pour in the vegetable broth and add the rinsed red lentils. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Simmer the Sauce: Cover the skillet and increase the heat to high until the mixture begins to boil. Then reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and fully cooked.
- Cook the Pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the whole wheat pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Incorporate Goat Cheese and Spinach: Reduce the heat of the sauce to low, add the crumbled goat cheese and baby spinach, stirring until the cheese melts completely and the spinach wilts.
- Combine Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with some reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Season and Serve: Season the dish with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve warm and enjoy your creamy, nutritious pasta dish!
Notes
- For a milder flavor, use less red pepper flakes or omit them entirely.
- Red lentils cook quickly but can become mushy; keep an eye on them to maintain a pleasant texture.
- Whole wheat pasta adds fiber and nutrients, but you can substitute with gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Reserve pasta water contains starch which helps emulsify and thicken the sauce.
- Goat cheese can be substituted with feta cheese or cream cheese for different flavors.