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.
Just made. 10/10 will become a regular meal in this house!
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Brandy.
Kate, I just found and made your Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils and Marinara, and I LOVED it. It never occurred to me to substitute lentils for ground meat in spaghetti sauce The sauce made with lentils was totally satisfying, and I couldn’t stop myself from going back for seconds. I look forward to making this again. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe with us.
I’m so happy to hear that, Ruth! I know, it’s so good. Thanks for your review.
This was delicious. I cooked the sauce for more than 45 minutes (about 3 hours, because I had the time) and the onions got so soft that I kept them in – they were so good.
Thanks for sharing, Carolyn!
Made this today and it was delicious! My kids loved it too which is a big win!
Wonderful, Linda!
The marinara is 10 out of 10 and the lentil combination is DELISH! Loved it and super, super easy (reheats great; I’ve had it for dinner all week!)
I wish I had a 10/10 option! :) Thank you for sharing, Hannah!
Hi Kate, can you make this in an instant pot?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
This is one of my fav go to recipes! You’ve made it simple to cook fresh :)
This is a great go-to! Thank you for sharing, Sarah.
We loved this! Didn’t miss the meat and very flavorful!
Always thought about how to add lentils to pasta in an easy way. This was perfect, I added some cauliflower, carrots and celery that I had kicking around the fridge, gave them a quick sautee then added them to the lentils and sauce…great meal.
Thanks for the quick, easy, and very tasty recipe. Served our needs.
Just amazing!
Thank you, Mary! I’m happy you like it.
YUM! This was so delicious. I made the marinara and used brown rice pasta. Will definitely make again. You rock, Kate!
You’re sweet, Julia! Thanks so much for your review.
Surprisingly delicious! I didn’t think it would work, but the flavors were such a beautiful blend. I used vegetable broth and Ragu garden style sauce. It had a restaurant quality when I added sliced almonds. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have parmesan cheese but I am sure it would be a beautiful marriage of flavors.
My husband and I loved this recipe – I added mushrooms because I needed to use them up and it worked out great! Thank you for all of your recipes, haven’t tried one I didn’t love!
This is a great vegetarian alternative to simple pasta and marinara sauce, with the healthy, protein packed, and filling addition of lentils. I have to admit I was a little skeptical of the combination (even as an avid lentil eater), but it came out just as comforting as spaghetti Bolognese.
Could you add vegetables to this recipe? Perhaps mushrooms or zucchini to make it an even healthier meal? Would love to hear your suggestions!
Hi Julia! Sure, feel free to add vegetable to this recipe. I think either of those sound delicious or a roasted vegetable on top would be great. Like my perfect cauliflower, broccoli or even Brussels sprouts.
substitute a can of diced tomatoes for the sauce, and you get a much lighter dish; just cook the drained lentils with the tomatoes for at least 5 minutes before adding to the pasta
Great idea to up the protein – I would’ve never thought to add lentils to spaghetti and marinara sauce! I made it with chickpea linguine (banza) and Rao’s marinara sauce and it was delicious and very filling!
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes! I usually add celery and carrot as well. So good and easy!
I’m sure you’ve heard it many times, but I SO appreciate how you have the 1x 2x 3x option for your recipes! It is so helpful in feeding 4 hungry kids (making this recipe tonight!)
So delicious and tasty – made this with your marinara sauce recipe and it was sooo divine! Satisfied my meat-loving boyfriend! This is a new go-to :D
OMG!!
made this dish tonight for supper, doubled the recipe no leftovers!! Lol
Definitely a weekday stable for now on
This is really yummy! It has such simple ingredients to make a delicious, and nutritious meal. Depending on how much time you can alter the recipe to your needs. In a time crunch? Use store bought marinara sauce and canned lentils. Have all day and are bored out of your mind? Make everything fresh! Did I mention that this is SUPER frugal?! Thanks for the recipe Kate! Your website is very helpful when I don’t know what to make! Keep those recipes coming!
Super simple! I was able to let everything cook and do its thing while I cleaned the kitchen. I was expecting some long drawn out recipe and that’s not what I got. Thank you! Quick, vegan, and delicious!
How would this do in the freezer? I’m definitely going to try it, but I’m always looking for things I can freeze for super busy nights.
Hi Sarah, I know the marinara sauce would freeze well, likely the lentils too (although they can get more mushy/loose their shape thawed), but I don’t have much luck freezing noodles. Let me know what you think if you try it!
Thank you! I was thinking of the sauce, not the noodles. Maybe I’ll try with a small amount to test it. I’ll report back if I do :)
I added some roasted kale and Parmesan and a little of the past water. Outstanding!
We love this recipe! My 15 year old daughter is vegetarian and is very hungry but in need of nutrition and comfort! She asked for this for dinner tonight!
We love ALL your recipes.
Love this recipe and have made it a bunch of times now. It’s a great way to add protein to a veggie pasta dish.
I love it! Thank you for your review, Rina.
This. Is. So. Good.
I love this blog! This is the 5th recipe I made and was A+++. I am trying to cook a minimum of one vegan meal a week and this dish certainly hit the spot last night. I am especially proud of making my own marinara. Thank you Kate!!
That’s great to hear, Joel! Thank you for your review.
The ultimate comfort food! I went the lazy route and bought red sauce from a local restaurant. It turned out so delicious!!
I agree! Thank you for your review, Chloe.
I’ve tried many Cookie+Kate recipes and loved them all but this one unfortunately just lacked flavor for me. It wasn’t bad, just tasted like any ordinary pasta with marinara.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, but I appreciate your review Anna.
This is an incredible recipe! I had never tried lentils in pasta sauce before and this is a game changer for me. It was so good that I shared the recipe with several friends ☺️
I made a large portion and the leftovers were delicious as well! Give it a shot!
Thank you for your review and feedback, Anna! I appreciate it.
This recipe is really easy to make with accessible ingredients (easy to find at the local supermarket) and tastes amazing! Thank you Cookie and Kate :)
Yum yum…been sneaking in more beans and lentils and nobody seems to mind. Hooray!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Kate this was so delicious! I’m usually not a fan of jarred sauce so I made your marinara and in my opinion this is the way to go if you have some extra time. It’s super easy and incredibly flavourful. I used tagliatelle noodles and a grating of fresh Parmesan. I will be making this regularly!
This was really good! I recommend smushing up the boiled garlic and adding back into the lentils, so yummy! I added some nooch and some red pepper flakes as well.
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Tiffany.
Made this for meal prepping. Freezes really well and it’s actually better when it’s reheated! I added some extra garlic and a little oregano because I like my food really savory.
Great recipe!
This was delicious! Will be making it again.
That’s great to hear!
This dish is DELICIOUS! I added sauteed portabello mushrooms and shredded carrots (per another reviewer’s suggestion) and it was awesome. My husband and I both agree that we like this better than traditional bolognese sauce. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Megan! Thank you for sharing.
First time trying this and cheated in a pinch and used store bought sauce. It is delicious. Can’t wait to try it completely scratch from your marinara recipe.
I’m glad you still loved it! Thank you for sharing, Rebecca.
This was absolutely delicious and a keeper recipe! I made your marinara sauce the day before.
So easy! I’m always going to make vegetarian pasta this way, as opposed to buying vegetarian meat/crumbles.
This sauce is so delicious and satisfying. It’s also very easy. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Carolyn!
Loved this recipe! We have been vegetarian for 2 years now and I’ve loved this website to find flavorful new recipes. I used the jarred Victoria Organic spaghetti sauce from Costco (it’s the one with the least ingredients) and added chopped onion, bell pepper, chopped zucchini, and what we enjoyed the most was a small sprinkle of red pepper flakes to give it some pizzaz.
This is hands-down my favourite C+K recipe (and that’s saying a lot) – so easy, hearty and delicious. Plenty of non-vego family adore it too.
This was delish.. I made it with a vegan no chicken broth…jarred marinara…over chick pea pasta mixed with vegan pesto…thank you for the inspiration!
Love this recipe along with many others! Thinking that I should buy your cookbook soon. Thank you so much for so many wonderful and successful dishes, time after time. Your use of simple ingredients that anyone can find at their local grocery store is very much appreciated.
I highly recommend my cookbook :) Thank you for sharing, Dani!
I made a variation of this with loads of extra veggies for my boyfriend’s pre-hockey spaghetti and it was spectacular! He usually has his sister’s ground beef spaghetti sauce but since he has run out and we are now eating vegetarian he asked me to make him one without meat. I used good quality jarred red sauce and onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper and mushrooms cooked in my dutch oven for the veg.
Hi Kate,
Have you tried using TVP in this recipe, or any others? Curious, as I just picked up a bag of it, and thought I’d like to try it in a bolognese sauce as the alternative to ground beef. Have you tried that at all?
I haven’t, sorry!
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!! 100/100
So easy too make and so tasty!
I’ve been trying to diversify my vegetarian fare recently and your recipes are so great! I made this for dinner tonight and we all loved it – I cooked the lentils in the Instant Pot while I was making the pasta, everything ended up being ready at the same time. Thanks!
This was DELICIOUS! I used red lentils and it was more smooth than chunky. Which had the consistency of lots of parmesan cheese in the sauce. If that makes sense. I added 2 Tbsp hummus and shredded carrots as well (stole the idea from another recipe) yum. I made a bunch extra to make your vegan lasagna!! That’s a separate review altogether!! Thank you for your delicious recipes! You’re very talented. : )
You’re welcome, Sally! I’m glad you loved it.