ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI WITH LENTIL MARINARA

Zucchini Spaghetti with Lentil Marinara image

I just love lentils and marinara so it was a quick decision to marry the two of them in this zucchini dish! I love to drizzle my dish with a little extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Provided by Cindy Anschutz Barbieri

Categories Fruits and Vegetables Vegetables Squash

Time 1h30m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

2 zucchini, spiralized, or more to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry lentils
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¼ cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 carrot, chopped, or more to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Place zucchini in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Bring lentils to a boil in a pot of 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and reduce heat; simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 clove garlic and carrots. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in crushed tomatoes and bring marinara sauce to a rapid simmer, about 2 minutes. Press tomato paste against the sides of the pan using the back of a spoon.
Stir 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 clove garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes into the marinara. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Pour in lentils; simmer until lentils have absorbed the marinara, about 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles and the remaining 1 clove garlic. Seasoning with salt and pepper, cook until noodles are coated, 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve noodles on plates with a ladleful of lentil marinara and a topping of Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 144.5 calories, Carbohydrate 11.7 g, Cholesterol 2.9 mg, Fat 10.3 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 3.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 699.1 mg, Sugar 6.3 g