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Lentils Puttanesca

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4.2 of 5 (56)

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 227.6

Total Fat: 6.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 524.8 mg
Total Carbs: 35.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 8.9 g
Protein: 10.5 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Lentils Puttanesca calories by ingredient

Introduction

Puttanesca is one of my favorite Italian sauces. This version turns ordinary dried brown lentils into real comfort food. Puttanesca is one of my favorite Italian sauces. This version turns ordinary dried brown lentils into real comfort food.

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 30

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed

1 cup pearled farro

1 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 t red pepper flakes

2 T tomato paste

1/2 cup dried mushrooms

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

16 black olives, pitted and chopped

2 T capers, chopped

1/2 lemon (optional)

chopped parsley or basil for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Tips

Like this recipe? It's part of our first official e-book, "Easy Vegan Meals by SparkPeople: The No-Stress, No-Guilt Way to Reap The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet". Click here to learn more, then download or preview a copy!

Use dried lentils in this recipe. If you only have canned, rinse them and skip the soaking steps. You would also omit the 2 cups of water if you use canned lentils.

Farro, also called emmer wheat, is a whole grain that resembles in appearance and taste a cross between barley and wheatberries. It is available in the whole grains aisle, and I buy it in bulk at Costco. No farro? Sub barley, wheat berries or save time and serve this over whole-wheat pasta.

If you're watching your sodium levels, you can cut down on the capers and olives, but that's what gives this dish its unique flavor.

Directions

Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Place the lentils in heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over them, covering by one inch. Place a dinner plate over the bowl to cover and set aside. (You can do this in the morning to save time.)

Heat the oil over medium-high in a large sautepan. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for five minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and stir well to combine. Cook for two minutes, until tomato paste is fragrant and has darkened in color.

Drain and rinse the lentils, then add them to the pan, along with the mushrooms. Cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, plus two cups of water.
Lower heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Add additional water if needed.
While the lentils are simmering, prepare the farro according to package directions.
Once the lentils are tender, remove from heat, season with black pepper and stir in the olives and capers, then squeeze in the lemon juice.
Serve immediately, over the cooked farro, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil.

Serving Size: Makes four servings; 3/4 cup of cooked farro and 1 cup of lentils per serving