Zucchini Spaghetti with Lentil Marinara

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.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 145 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place zucchini in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

Serve noodles on plates with a ladleful of lentil marinara and a topping of Parmesan cheese.