Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti
  • 1 large white or yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1/2 cup Erath Pinot Noir (or other red wine)
  • 28 ounce can plain tomato sauce
  • 15 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups dried brown (green, or french lentils)
  • 4 cups low sodium veggie broth
  • 2 tsp dried basil or 3 tbsp chopped fresh
  • 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1-1 ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instruction

  • Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to a large pot or dutch oven. 
  • Saute with the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to look translucent. 
  • Add in the peeled and chopped carrot and diced celery. 
  • Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies soften and brown slightly on the bottom. 
  • Stir in the wine (don't skip it! it's key for flavor), and let simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, or reduced by at least 50%.
  • Once all of the wine is absorbed, add all remaining ingredients. 
  • Stir well to incorporate. Bring to a low boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the lentils are fully cooked. Stir roughly every 10 minutes throughout to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom and the lentils cook evenly. You want to keep the heat on low to ensure the liquid doesn't cook off before the lentils get a chance to cook. 
  • About halfway through, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • After about 30 minutes, the sauce should be thick and the lentils cooked. If the lentils aren't cooked well but the sauce is thick, add in another 1 cup of broth and simmer, covered, until cooked.
  • Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add more salt, pepper, or any additional herbs if desired.
  • Use an immersion blender to very lightly puree the sauce. You definitely don't want to completely puree the sauce, there should be plenty of texture, but blending slightly gives it a really nice texture. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer about 2 1/2 cups worth of sauce to a regular blender and process until mostly smooth.
  • Serve the sauce over pasta with fresh chopped basil, parsley and cashew parmesan.