Find vegetarian comfort in a bowl of Spaghetti with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach. This hearty dish hails from Locanda Veneta, an Italian eatery in Los Angeles which has served this beloved spaghetti for decades!
(This recipe was originally published in May 2009, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
Locanda Veneta was my absolute favorite Italian restaurant when I lived in Los Angeles. I visited for just about every special and non-special occasion.
One of my favorite dishes was always the Spaghetti with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach. I have made this dish various times at home with delicious results. It's not 100% identical to what I remember at Locanda Venteta in terms of the texture of the sauce, but the flavor is spot on and so delicious!
Although many people consider lentils to be a winter comfort, I think they are an anytime ingredient. They're healthy, satisfying, hearty, and a great alternative when you are skipping meat on the menu.
Meat can also get pretty expensive, so this budget-friendly spaghetti dish is the perfect opportunity to dig into your pantry for those forgotten lentils!
How to make Spaghetti with Lentils
This recipe is easy, but requires a few steps to put it all together. First you'll need to rinse and soak your lentils for a couple hours. While you're waiting you can prep some of the other ingredients.
Next, halve 6 Roma or plum tomatoes lengthwise and arrange them in a small pan. Top with minced garlic, dried oregano, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes until they are soft and juicy. Remove from the oven.
When they are cool enough to handle, you can pull off the skins. This is optional but I really recommend it for a cleaner eating experience.
Get started on the lentil mixture next. Heat some olive oil in a pot, and add finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery (PHOTO 1). Cook until softened (PHOTO 2), and then add the drained lentils, water, a crushed garlic clove, and a bay leaf (PHOTO 3). Bring to a boil, then partially cover, lower the temperature, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid, and then stir 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid into the lentil mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside (PHOTO 4).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook your spaghetti until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or pot, heat up some olive oil and then add 8 ounces of baby spinach (PHOTO 1). Stir, and cover for a couple minutes to help it wilt. Then uncover and mix again to wilt it a bit more (PHOTO 2). Add the roasted tomatoes, stir, and slightly mash the tomatoes a bit to break them up (don't overdo it) (PHOTOS 3-4). Add the lentil mixture and stir, cooking for another 4 minutes or so (PHOTOS 5-6).
Strain your cooked spaghetti and return to the pot. Add the lentil sauce and cook for another few minutes to help the sauce absorb a bit into the spaghetti. At this point you can stir in some grated Parmesan cheese, which will help the sauce thicken and cling, or you can pass the cheese at the table in case everyone doesn't want it. Serve immediately!
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Use brown lentils for this recipe. Green lentils will work too, but Locanda Veneta uses brown lentils for theirs. Red lentils will fall apart, so definitely don't use those!
If you use regular spinach instead of baby spinach, you will want to lightly steam or blanch the spinach before mixing it into the sauce. Baby spinach is tender enough that you can quickly wilt it while you're assembling the sauce at the end.
You can make each of the components (the roasted tomatoes and the lentil sauce) separately ahead of time. Before serving, wilt the baby spinach and continue building the sauce.
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- Soupe de Chalet (Swiss Cheese and Potato Soup)
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- Browse other Vegetarian Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Spaghetti with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach
Ingredients
Lentils:
- ¾ cup dry lentils (preferably brown lentils)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot finely chopped
- 1 small stalk celery finely chopped
- 4 cups water
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomatoes:
- 6 ripe plum or Roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
The Rest:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the table
Instructions
- For the lentils: Rinse the lentils well, removing any stones. then cover with water and soak 2 hours. Drain.
- For the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and lay them cut side up in an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Scatter with the parsley, garlic, and oregano, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Set aside. If desired, once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins (they should slide right off).
- Once the lentils have been soaked and drained, warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until they are soft and translucent, stirring frequently about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the lentils, water, the crushed garlic clove, and the bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return reserved water to lentils and set aside. Season with salt and black pepper.
- For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In the meantime, heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan or pot. Add the spinach, stir, and cover for a couple minutes to help it wilt. Uncover and add the tomatoes, stirring and breaking them up a bit with a wooden spoon. Saute over medium-high for 1 minute, then stir in the lentils, reduce the flame to medium, and let everything cook together for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Boil the pasta in the salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, then toss with all of the sauce, and cook together for another minute over high heat to allow some of the liquid to absorb and thicken. Serve, offering Parmesan at the table for topping.
- Alternatively you can stir about ¼ cup Parmesan directly into the pasta over the heat, which will help thicken the sauce a bit too. Only do this if everyone eating the spaghetti wants cheese in theirs.
Notes
- Use brown lentils for this recipe. Green lentils will work too, but Locanda Veneta (the LA eatery which created the original recipe) uses brown lentils for theirs. Red lentils will fall apart, so definitely don't use those!
- If you use regular spinach instead of baby spinach, you will want to lightly steam or blanch the spinach before mixing it into the sauce. Baby spinach is tender enough that you can quickly wilt it while you're assembling the sauce at the end.
- You can make each of the components (the roasted tomatoes and the lentil sauce) separately ahead of time. Before serving, wilt the baby spinach and continue building the sauce.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Mary Kabakian
What a great comforting pasta recipe. I would have never thought to put lentils in a pasta sauce but it really works!