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Lentil Swiss Chard Capellini

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Lentil Swiss Chard Capellini

This simple dish is one of our regular family dinners. If you have a jar of your favorite tomato sauce and some pre-cooked lentils in your fridge or freezer, this dish is on the table in less than thirty minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and thinly sliced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups cooked green lentils
  • 28 oz. can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 box angel hair pasta/capellini
  • Optional garnishes: nutritional yeast, toasted breadcrumbs, fresh basil or parsley

Directions:

  1. Bring large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onions, carrots and chard stems until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to prevent burning. Add the green lentils and the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves to wilt them, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Season the pot of boiling water generously with sea salt. Add the capellini and cook al dente according to package directions, about 5 minutes.
  5. Finish the pasta in the sauce, or serve the pasta in bowls and top with the finished sauce. If desired, garnish the pasta with nutritional yeast (“nooch”), toasted breadcrumbs, or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some fresh herbs.

Notes:

  • To cook lentils: bring 1 cup lentils with 2 cups water to a boil, then simmer until tender, 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, and store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. Add cooked lentils to soups, salads, and pasta.
  • To speed this recipe up even more, substitute a no-sugar-added organic tomato sauce for the crushed tomatoes. You can eliminate the simmering step.

Posted in Dinner, Entrees, Recipes

Michelle is passionate about eating well and taking animals off the menu. She writes recipes for Mommy Nearest, and blogs about vegan food and cooking with her toddler at Michelle’s tiny kitchen. You can connect with her on Instagram and Pinterest.