Vegetarian Hamburger Helper
Super Simple Vegetarian Hamburger Helper. Elbow pasta sauteed with lentils, garlic, onions, and tomato paste.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 450kcal
Cost: $
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lentils
- 1 lb. elbow pasta
- 4 cloves of garlic sliced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 can 6 oz. tomato paste
- 4 oz. water
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- Grated Cheese for serving
Instructions
Preparing the Lentils:
- Prepare the lentils according to the package.
Preparing the Pasta:
- While the lentils are cooking, prepare the pasta according to the package.
Bringing it All Together:
- In a extra large skillet or large pot bring the canola oil to high heat. Next, lower to medium heat and add in the garlic. Saute until golden (about 2-3 minutes).
- Next, add in the onions and saute until they soften (about 3-4 minutes), mixing occasionally. Continuing on medium heat, add in the tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and often while cooking for 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the pre-cooked lentils and pasta. Cook for 5 minutes, mixing occasionally to incorporate all the ingredients.
To Serve:
- Sprinkle granted cheese over the pasta mixture and serve family style in a large bowl, or in individual portions.
Notes
Invent Your Recipe:
This dish can easily be a vegan option if you leave out the grated cheese from the recipe. I love the flavor it adds, but the grated cheese is not necessary.
If you are not a fan of lentils, you can make this dish with peas, black beans, red kidney beans, or any type of bean really.
Tomato paste works well in this recipe, but tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes will also work. If you choose crushed tomatoes I would recommend cooking the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed tomatoes for a longer period of time (about 10 minutes) before adding in the lentils and pasta.
Onions are not for everyone. If you decide to leave out the onions all together I recommend cutting back the amount of canola oil used in the recipe. 2 tablespoons should do instead of the 1/4 cup.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal
