Zucchini & Lentil Pasta Recipe
This vegetarian pasta with lentils is made with sautéed zucchini, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil for a simple but flavorful meal. It’s easy to prepare with minimal effort. Just cook the lentils and pasta, sauté the zucchini, then combine everything in one pot.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 312kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup green or brown lentils
- 8 ounce short pasta farfalle, rotini, or orrechiette work great
- salt for cooking pasta and lentils
- 1 large drizzle olive oil use high-quality for best flavor
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced can use less for milder garlicky flavor
- 1-2 zucchini about 3 cups diced small
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch crushed pepper optional
- grated parmesan cheese chopped fresh basil, and drizzle of olive oil for serving, optional but highly recommended.
Instructions
- Cook lentils in salted water until tender, following package directions. Drain and set aside.½ cup green or brown lentils
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. When ready, drain and set aside keeping about 2 cups of pasta water.8 ounce short pasta, salt for cooking pasta and lentils
- Heat the olive oil in over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook one minute, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, add zucchini, and cook 10 minutes, add salt, pepper, and crushed pepper, and continue cooking zucchini until it is soft or reaches desired consistency. Add half of the pasta water and lentils to the pot. Last add pasta and toss to coat. Add more pasta water if dish seems a bit dry. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.1 large drizzle olive oil, 4-5 cloves garlic, 1-2 zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 pinch crushed pepper
- Serve topped with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and an extra drizzle of high quality olive oilgrated parmesan cheese
Notes
- Cook lentils just until tender, then drain right away to keep them from turning mushy.
- Use short pasta shapes like rotini or farfalle; they mix well with the lentils and hold up nicely.
- Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to help blend everything together without drying it out.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of water or olive oil to refresh the texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg
