Red lentil ragù, a tasty sauce for pasta, also excellent as a side dish or accompaniment to bread and polenta. It is prepared like meat ragù, with sautéed vegetables and tomato sauce… but it is a flavorful vegetarian alternative, healthy and very simple to make. I had already proposed the recipe for Lasagna with Lentil Ragù, in which I used classic Umbrian lentils… in this case, I chose decorticated red lentils, which are easily available and cook quickly. Try this recipe, it is suitable for all occasions, simple, light, and very tasty!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 135.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.32 (g) of which sugars 0.28 (g)
- Proteins 7.97 (g)
- Fat 1.84 (g) of which saturated 0.29 (g)of which unsaturated 0.61 (g)
- Fibers 4.20 (g)
- Sodium 120.42 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz decorticated red lentils
- 1 cup tomato pulp
- Half onion
- Half stalk celery
- as needed vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 leaf bay
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Half teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools
- Pan
- Strainer
- Cutting board
Preparation
Place the red lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse them briefly under the faucet.
Chop the onion and celery, sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil (1).
Add the lentils and toast them for a few seconds. Cover them with hot vegetable broth (or slightly salted water) and cook for about 10 minutes (2).
Add the tomato pulp, paprika (optional), and bay leaf (3). Adjust the salt and cook the lentils over low heat until the sauce thickens. If it dries too much, add more broth.
Finally, when the lentils are tender and the sauce has the desired consistency, season the ragù with chopped rosemary.
The red lentil ragù is ready, you can use it to dress a nice plate of pasta like the one in the photo below, or also as a side dish.
Tips and Notes
Cooking times depend on the type of lentils used; in my case, they took a short time (about 15-20 minutes).
The red lentil ragù can be stored for a couple of days in the refrigerator, in a closed container.
You can omit the paprika, or replace it with other spices to taste.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the ragù with other types of lentils?
Sure, the ingredients and the process are the same, only the cooking times will change.
What pasta can I dress with this ragù?
All types of semolina pasta are fine, or even whole wheat or legume pasta.
