This Zucchini Spaghetti with Lentil Marinara is one of, if not my absolute, favorite ways I’ve eaten zucchini pasta. I very rarely fix traditional pasta for us and it’s been a long time since I’ve had a good ole’ meat sauce spaghetti. It’s not something I crave or pine over at an Italian restaurant. However, eating this vegetarian lentil marinara with lightly cooked spiralized zucchini, brought back all the fond memories of eating spaghetti as a kid and reminded me why Italian food is often thought off a comfort food. Seriously, so good.
And yet, I’ve been holding out on you, oops! I made this back at the beginning of summer…but with my never-ending barrage of zucchini recipes, I think I was a bit embarrassed to post yet one more. And sadly enough…there’s still another one coming! What can I say…zucchini seems to be very versatile, and as far as health benefits, there’s a lot worse-for-you things I could be posting weekly. So overload of zucchini recipes or not, here’s another that I think you have to try!
And if you missed all those other zucchini recipes I’m referring to…here’s a list!
Zucchini for Every Night of the Week:
- Zucchini Fettuccine and Cauliflower Alfredo
- Zucchini Fritters with Poached Eggs
- Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Marsala
- Vegan Zucchini Sweet Potato Rolls
- Vegetarian Zucchini White Bean Burgers
- Summer Squash (Zucchini) and Farro Veggie Bowl
- Roasted BBQ Veggie and Avocado Sandwich
Oh, and if you find yourself with the same affection for this Lentil Marinara as myself, check out these Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes and BBQ Lentil Meatballs – both yummy meat-lover makeovers! {In case you’re wondering, no I’m not a vegetarian, I just don’t eat a lot of meat!}
I’ll be spending the weekend at my parents, helping with my mom and looking forward to the projected Fall temperatures, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Zucchini Spaghetti with Lentil Marinara
Ingredients
- 2-3 large zucchini spiralized
- 1/2 cup dried lentils rinse and sorted, then cooked according to package
- For the Sauce:
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 6-7 tbsp not quite 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 medium red onion finely chopped
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tsp spaghetti seasoning
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- *chopped basil and extra parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to package directions, I just added water, brought to boil, then simmered 35 minutes until all water was absorbed and lentils soft.
- While lentils cook, add all ingredients for sauce {diced tomatoes through parmesan cheese} to NutriBullet or food processor, blend on high 25-30 seconds, or until ingredients are well combined and thick sauce is formed.
- Add sauce to small pan and cook over medium heat to bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.
- Once lentils are nearly cooked and sauce is heated through, add spiralized zucchini to medium sauce pan and cook over low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until zucchini is soft with a pasta-like texture.
- Stir cooked lentils {drain any excess water} into marinara sauce and simmer another 1-2 minutes.
- Divide zucchini spaghetti between two dishes, top with lentil marinara, chopped herbs and parmesan, then serve.
Nutrition
