Lentil pasta sauce (high protein)

This easy vegan pasta sauce is not only filling but it's high in protein, nutritious and budget friendly. Made with only lentils and pasta sauce, this recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

If you're looking for even more easy vegan pasta recipes, check out this non dairy pesto, Pasta and Tofu Sauce, super simple vegan mushroom stroganoff and these tofu ricotta vegan stuffed shells.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🍅 Ingredient Notes
• 🧅 Substitutions
• 🔪 Directions
• 👩‍🍳 Expert tips
• 🍝 Variations
• ❄️Storing tips
• 🥗 Serving Suggestions
• ❓ FAQ's
• 🍴 Try these recipes next
• 📖 Recipe

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy to find ingredients: You can find all of the ingredients for this recipe at any grocery store. They are probably already in your pantry.
• Nutritious: Lentils are a great source of protein and fiber, making this sauce a filling and nutritious meal.
• Versatile: This sauce can be used with any type of pasta, making it a great option for meal planning.
• Budget-friendly: Lentils are an inexpensive ingredient, making this recipe an affordable meal option.
• Simple vegan pasta sauce for beginner cooks, new vegans, vegan teens or college students.

🍅 Ingredient Notes

Lentils

Be sure to rinse the lentils before cooking. Brown or green lentils work well for this recipe. Red lentils also would work, but they have a softer texture and wouldn't hold their shape, but they taste delicious.

Lentils are one of my favorite meat replacements. They work well in just about every recipe that requires ground beef. I love the way I feel after eating lentils; satisfied and full.

They’re full of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and one cup of cooked lentils provides about 17 grams of protein. They’re also really affordable and this meals if extremely budget friendly. Need I say more?!

Pasta sauce

Look for a pasta sauce that doesn't contain any dairy products. Marinara sauce or tomato sauce are great options.

🧅 Substitutions

• If you don't have lentils on hand, you can substitute with canned chickpeas or black beans.
• Feel free to make your own pasta sauce, if you don't want to use a store-bought sauce.

🔪 Directions

Make sure to scroll to the recipe card for full step-by-step instructions.

1. Rinse the lentils in a strainer.
2. Place the lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
4. Once the lentils are cooked, mix in the pasta sauce.
5. Serve the sauce over cooked pasta.

👩‍🍳 Expert tips

🍝 Variations

• Add some diced bell pepper or sliced mushrooms to the sauce for extra veggies.
• Use red lentils instead of brown or green lentils for a different flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the sauce for a cheesy flavor.
• Add in some baby spinach at the end to get some added greens

❄️Storing tips

This sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

🥗 Serving Suggestions

This sauce pairs well with any type of pasta. You can even make your own homemade vegan pasta, without the need of a pasta maker. You can also top the pasta with nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese.

This goes really well inside of a dairy free vegan lasagna. The lentils are a great substitute for ground beef, plus they're cholesterol free.

Serve this with a side salad with Dairy free Italian dressing or cashew ranch dressing.

This pasta also goes well with some vegan garlic bread. Grab a baguette, some vegan butter, salt and garlic powder and you can whip up some homemade garlic bread in no time.

❓ FAQ's

🍴 Try these recipes next

If you loved this recipe, leave a 5 ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and comment below!

📖 Recipe