Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
This wholesome dinner features hearty lentils, marinara sauce and spaghetti. This vegetarian dinner is easy to make, affordable and delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Remember my new marinara sauce recipe from earlier this week? I just had to share one of my go-to quick meals to go with it. I’ve been keeping this easy combination all to myself for the past few years, and it’s about time we talk about it.
Here it is: marinara sauce and lentils. I know, it might sound weird at first. But let me tell you, marinara and lentils is a delicious combination. Perhaps you have already encountered it in my lentil baked ziti?
Marinara offers deep, umami-rich tomatoes in irresistible sauce form. Lentils offer earthy flavor and a hearty, Bolognese-like texture. I use French green or plain brown lentils, which retain their shape better than red or yellow lentils.
Just combine marinara and lentils with whole-grain pasta. Ta da! You’ve successfully lightened-up a traditionally carb-heavy pasta dish into a well-balanced, fiber-rich dinner.
Watch How to Make Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
The photos here show my homemade marinara with freshly cooked lentils and pasta. All three components are super easy to make.
However, I won’t judge you in the slightest if you want to grab a can of cooked lentils (rinsed and drained) and throw it together with some store-bought marinara and leftover pasta.
Hungry times call for shortcuts and if hearty pasta saves you from a delivery pizza, that’s a win. This recipe reheats well, too, so it’s a great option to pack for lunch. Did I mention that it’s cheap, too?
You’ll find suggested amounts in the recipe below, although the proportions are really up to you. You can’t go wrong. Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments. I hope it becomes one of your go-to quick meals, too.
Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara
This wholesome dinner features hearty lentils, marinara sauce and spaghetti. This vegetarian dinner is easy to make, affordable and delicious! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Lentils
- ½ cup dry lentils (French green lentils or regular brown lentils), or 1 ½ cups cooked lentils (leftover or from a can, rinsed and drained)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled but left whole
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
Everything else
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounces whole-grain pasta (or 12 ounces, if you like your pasta less saucy than mine)
- Optional garnishes: grated Parmesan or vegan Parmesan and/or chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- To cook the lentils, first pick through the lentils for debris (I once bit into a tiny rock) and then rinse them in a fine-mesh colander. In a small saucepan, combine the lentils, bay leaf, garlic, salt and broth.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer until the lentils are cooked through and tender, which will take somewhere between 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the age and variety of the lentils. Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaf and garlic, and set the pot aside, uncovered.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, then return the pasta to the pot and set it aside.
- Stir the marinara into the lentils and warm them together over medium heat. Divide pasta into bowls, top with warm marinara and lentils, and garnish with Parmesan and/or chopped fresh basil, if you’d like. Serve warm. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I added some sliced black olives to the sauce at the end, served it over a spaghetti squash, and it turned out absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
This looks great! But I want to ask. I batch cook. Can I freeze this?
Hi! I haven’t tried it, but it may be ok. Let me know if you try it!
Delicious and light. A plus!
Thank you for sharing.
This is our go-to recipe for Sunday nights. So much better than takeout! Our whole family enjoys it.
I’m confused! Are there 1 1/2 cups of lentils in one tin?
Hi Casey! These call for dried lentils. I hope that helps.
Looks delicious! I would add some vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, carrots, zucchini, spinach and so on.
Delicious!!!! Have made the recipe before per directions but today…..I sautéed about 8oz of mushrooms in about 1/2 tablespoon of spicy oil. Added an entire jar of marinara sauce (this time the jar was 24oz). Cooked the lentils in broth and when fully cooked added the lentils, broth, spices and all to the marinara…easily smashing the garlic and sending it thru the sauce. Cooked a 16oz package of spaghetti and poured the sauce over individual plates of spaghetti. Love the versatility of this recipe….seems like whatever you love to eat..add it to this sauce…Yum!!!
Thank you for sharing your variation, Mary!
Great recipe as always!
Thank you, Adriana!
Your marinara is great made with my home canned tomatoes!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Virginia!
Can I use black lentils. I understand they are more nutrious.
Sure. The cooking time may vary. Follow my How to Cook Lentils for reference.
I used the black lentils and it was delicious.. I’ll be making it frequently. I just returned to plant based eating and I’m trying to find high protein meals that do not have any animal fat or cheese due to extremely high cholesterol. Every recipe of yours I’ve made has been delicious. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Kathy!
I don’t like lentils but was given some green lentils today. I’m also not much of a cook so I need easy instructions . I was trying to find a way to hide the lentil taste . This was a great recipe for me. It hid the lentils well. I ate this with spaghetti squash. It added was a nice added protein source. I usually eat it with beef. This was a nice vegetarian alternative . I added it to my recipe box for the future as it was easy to make and delicious . Thanks so much.
Daughter made this recipe for me for Mother’s Day. I love spaghetti bol. And wanted a vegan alternative as with the ageing process, comes dietary adjustments. It was delicious and a keeper for the recipe book. Didn’t think we’d eat all that we made, but demolished it all. Our daughter-in-law found your site and has made a few of your recipes and hasn’t had a recipe fall flat…ever! We are not here devotees. Keep up the great recipes and thanks for doing all the hard work.
I have to admit that I was skeptical of the combo (lentils and marinara) but it totally worked. Some people suggested adding veggies. I sautéed some zucchini, mushroom blend and garlic w/ onion powder and added it to dish last. Man, this was GOOD. And healthy. Thank you for another great recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m excited you enjoyed this recipe, Brooke. I appreciate your review.
This was so easy and so good! Perfect – using Rao’s marinara, on rigatoni noodles. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Debra!
I wouldn’t have thought to put lentils in spaghetti, but it really works!!! I added zucchini, mushrooms & orange bell pepper- this is really delicious!!!
So great and filling. And so cheap to make!
Another way to make this is to add the veggies you have that need to be used up. Today I sautéed an onion, a shredded carrot and some mushrooms and then added that to the lentil mixture. It’s just soo good!
I’m glad you love it, Raquel!
I had a homemade marinara sauce and vegan Parmesan on hand, but used your lentil recipe to cook the lentils. They were so good, and now I’m intrigued by your no-chop marinara. I’ll be trying it next time.
I love this recipe and have cooked it nearly every week for the last year! Home made marinara is certainly better but 90% of the time I’m too lazy so I use a jar. I also hate doing dishes so I try to only use two pots/pans. My method: fry onion and garlic together, then add sauce and rinsed lentils, bay leaf, veggie stock and seasoning. Cook until lentils are done. Also life hack is once pasta is cooked and drained I add a knob of butter and mix it over to make glossy. Thank Kate for this recipe!
This dish has no business being so tasty AND easy at the same time. It was delicious and I’m sure you could load some more veggies into it if you wanted. Yum!
Silly question but if you are buying tinned lentils that are already cooked do you omit cooking them with the broth,bay leaf and garlic and just add them straight to the marinara sauce??!
Hi! This recipe uses dried herbs.
If it were me, I would definitely add Bayleaf and garlic, omit the lentil water, and add broth to thin it out if the sauce gets too thick. I would just let it simmer a bit longer so that the Bay leaf can infuse the sauce.
I was wondering the same thing.
Love this recipe. Simple, cheap, tasty. I make it once a week and it’s downright exciting to have a night off chopping.
Great to hear, Diana!
Hi. Absolutely love your recipes. Easy to follow cos it’s my 1st.time cooking. And only have a few steps so easy to follow. I just made the marinara sauce which was amazing. I want to make spaghetti now. So I can use the sauce. Am new to this. Can I use just cook spaghetti and then pour the sauce on. Thanks
I’ve made this 3 times already. It’s absolutely delicious Kate!!! I added 1/2 t of onion & garlic powder plus fresh minced garlic to the lentils. Makes them even tastier. I use Cento pasta sauce in a jar and doctor it up a bit. I also keep the lentils (I used red), pasta sauce & whole wheat pasta all separate so I can reheat them in individual servings for myself. Such an incredible recipe. So easy, quick & yummy!
I love to hear that, Elaine! I appreciate your review.
made this for my 11 month old baby and it was a hit for the whole family!
10/10 recommend
Great to hear! Thank you for your review.
Excellent recipe! I made it exactly as written and it was 5 stars! I loved reading the comments with some of the various experiments based off of this recipe. Next time I might chop up and sauté some mushrooms and onion into the lentil/sauce mix. But it was perfect as is! My 14 month old devoured it.
I love to hear that, Emily! I appreciate your review.
So delicious! Made the recipe exactly and it was a great easy weeknight meal. My only comment is that if you have a decent appetite, it’s more like two servings – the perfect amount for my partner & me.
I’ve been adding lentils to spaghetti and pizza sauce for years, and it never occurred to me to cook the lentils separately first. I just add the dry lentils to the sauce and simmer for a while; because lentils cook so quickly, they just cook in there. Easy!
Hello C&K
Lovely little recipe. Really tasty. Will the marinara/lentil sauce freeze well?
Thank you
Blessings +
The marinara should hold up well. Let me know how it works for you!
Can you make the sauce ahead of time and just warm it up when ready to serve?
I’ve made the recipe as written a few times, and it’s absolutely delicious, but I’m lazy and more often make it with store-bought marinara and canned lentils, and it’s still really good! Not as good as made from scratch, but still excellent! It’s my go-to fall/winter dinner. Love.
If you use canned lentils, what do you do with the bay leaf, garlic, and broth? Do you skip them entirely?
You will not need to cook them, so omit that step.
Delicious! Have made this dish many times! Perfect for a weeknight.
Great to hear, Lesley!
Hi! Do I need to soak the dry lentils prior to proceeding with this recipe as written? Will soaking them hurt anything? What do you recommend? (I don’t have a lot of experience with lentils!)
This recipe doesn’t call for soaking the lentils. Follow the instructions and you will have a delicious meal. Enjoy!
This is absolutely delicious!
Topped mine with fresh Italian Parsley.
Great to hear, Kris! Thank you for your review.
Thank you for this recipe! I used Beluga/black lentils and added some “veggie love” with some water-sauteed chopped onions, zucchini, and mushrooms to the sauce. Delicious!
Thank you for your review, Lesa!
Finally got around to making this. It was excellent and oh so simple. Thanks for another winner Kate!
You’re welcome, Stakra!
Love this, and your site. Im a plant-based med student and mom of toddler sometimes working up to 70 hrs a week…Every minute not in the hospital on those tougher weeks, im playing with my LO or food prepping.. any super super simple recipe ideas (10-15 min max, easy ingredients i dont have to search for) you recommend for one exhausted mama?
Thank you so much!!!
The combo of lentils and pasta form a perfect protein and that is the kind of recipe I’m attracted to lately. This ended up being really good and just like the picture. Personally I like to add a few carrots to my marinara and even turn it into a puttanesca. As long as you have two cups of your favorite “spaghetti sauce” I think this can work really great. This is going to become a staple thank you.
Can the lentils just cook in the tomato sauce instead of broiling separately? Thanks.
I don’t know how that would turn out, since I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Hi Kate, this looks delicious, simple and healthy. I watched the video and I like the look of your pasta. Which brand and type is the whole grain pasta you used for the video? I will try to buy it and make it tomorrow! By the way, your website is my go to and I love your recipes!
I love to hear that, Julia!
This was so delicious. Thank you. I love marinara sauce – adding healthy protein – YUM!!!
Great to hear, Bethany!
First time stepping out into the meatless dinner zone. I love your butternut squash soup recipe so when the nutritionist suggested this meal from you – I said Yes! I was leery as my husband is a meat kind of guy. We both loved it!! Making it again tonight!
I make your recipes all the time! We have eaten every pasta in your cookbook and online. I was wondering what you thought about other types of pasta-quiona and brown rice, red lentil…they have a lot at Trader Joe’s that are not wheat. Do you ever use these? What do you think about the nutritional value of them? Thanks!
Oh my gosh, soooo delicious! I made it the very day you sent out the email for weekday dinners. It does sound a bit odd, spaghetti and lentils together, but I had to try it. I did not have a bay leaf, so I used a bit (maybe a teaspoon of each) of dried oregano and dried thyme w/the lentils. Also used two pieces of garlic because they seemed small. And used store bought marinara. It keeps well in the fridge and is great to reheat in the microwave at work ;-))