Do you absolutely love spaghetti, but don’t want all the meat or gluten? If you answered yes, then this is the perfect recipe for you.
I have always loved spaghetti, it’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s quick to make. The only downside for me is that spaghetti is normally made with some kind of sausage or ground meat, and wheat noodles. I decided I wanted to make a vegan and gluten-free version of spaghetti that suited my needs with all of the flavor of normal spaghetti. This spaghetti recipe is incredibly easy, and still insanely delicious. I made it with gluten-free brown rice noodles to replace wheat noodles, and lentils to replace the meat. I know the idea of lentils in spaghetti as a meat replacement might seem kind of gross, but I promise you it adds so much good protein without making it taste weird, or giving it a weird texture. Something I also wanted to accomplish with this spaghetti, was making it sugar-free. A lot of pasta sauces contain sugar. This was something I wasn’t really aware of until recently. My favorite sugar-free pasta sauce so far is the tomato basil by Muir Glen. This pasta sauce is sugar-free, organic, and pretty affordable at $3.99 a jar. Because it is so clean, I think that’s a pretty good price. My absolute favorite pasta brand of all time is DeLallo.
This pasta is made in Italy, and made from brown rice. There is nothing else in this pasta, just brown rice. So many gluten-free foods are overly processed, and use so many different types of flour, so it’s refreshing to see something that is only one ingredient and is not made from corn. I try to stay away from products with a lot of corn, because it is bad for your gut, and your overall health.
Another thing I love about this spaghetti is that it is fairly easy to digest. Because your body isn’t having to break down a bunch of meat and starch at once, you won’t end up feeling full longer than you should.
After I set out all of my ingredients, I fill my pot with water, and bring it to a boil. While I’m waiting for the water to boil, I chop my onion into small pieces, and saute it with the garlic in a large pan. While that’s sauteing, I chop my mushrooms into thin slices. I add my mushrooms to the pan with the onions when the onions are almost done. At this point my water has come to a boil, so I add my spaghetti noodles to the water. Something I have learned about making gluten-free pasta, is that you have to stir it constantly, and if you’re making spaghetti, you have to take and run a fork through the noodles to separate them, or they will stick together and become a lump. While my pasta is boiling, I go back to my mushroom and onion mixture, and once it is all soft, I add my pasta sauce, lentils, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and let it simmer. When the spaghetti is close to done, I take a few large spoonfuls of pasta water and add it to the sauce. I had never heard of adding pasta water to the pasta sauce until a couple years ago, and it is a game changer. I don’t know why or how, but it makes the sauce much more flavorful.
When the noodles are done, I pour them into a colander, and rinse them with warm water. This is an important step for gluten-free pasta, because it keeps it from sticking together. I drain the noodles after rinsing, then I add them into the pan with the sauce. I like to serve the pasta with parmesan cheese on the side, but it is amazing without it. This would go really well with garlic bread too.
Ingredients
1 packet gluten-free spaghetti noodles
8-10 large brown mushroom
1 yellow onion
1 can lentils, rinsed
2 tbsp garlic
1 jar pasta sauce
5 spoonfuls of pasta water
Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, and let boil until the noodles are al dente. Separate the noodles with a fork occasionally.
Chop the onion into small pieces. In a large pan on medium heat saute the garlic and onion until the onion is clear.
While the onion and garlic are sauteing, chop the mushrooms into thin slices. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the garlic and onions, and saute until the mushrooms are soft.
Sprinkle the mushroom and onion mixture with some italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then add the can of rinsed and drained lentils.
Add the pasta sauce and pasta water to the mixture, and let simmer on low until warmed through.
When the pasta is done, pour it into a colander and rinse it with warm water. Drain the pasta completely.
Pour the pasta into a large bowl, and add the pasta sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly. Serve right away. You can serve with parmesan cheese, and garlic bread.