Have you ever tried raw zucchini pasta? It’s a vegan classic and super versatile. This vegan zucchini pasta comes along with a delish lentil bolognese sauce. The rich sauce makes this very light meal nevertheless savory and filling and also people who are not into “raw foods” will love this dish. With pumpkin seeds I added a nice crunch to the sauce. Of course you can substitute the raw zucchini spaghetti with any vegan pasta to your liking. So, I’m looking forward to your feedback. Enjoy! Yours Lea
Zucchini Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 big zucchni (about 14 oz each)
- Sea salt
- 1 big onion (3.5 oz)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 150 g (3/4 cup) green lentils or mountain lentils
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (or any other vegetable oil)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 branch rosemary
- Optional: 2 bay leaves
- 450 g (15.8 oz) tomato puree
- 45 g (1.5 oz) pumpkin seeds
- Black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder (or some drops liquid smoke or a tsp harissa)
- 1 tsp cumin
- A handful fresh basil
- 6 cherry tomatoes for garnish
Instructions
- Wash the zucchini, cut the ends and spiralize them. (I used a green and a yellow zucchini, but the color doesn't matter. They taste the same. I just like the look of the two-colored spaghetti and our local organic market offers both sorts)
- Mix the zucchini spaghetti with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and add a pinch of sea salt. Then let the spirals sit for some minutes. When salted they leak out some water that you need to drain afterwards.
- Peel and chop onion and garlic clove. Rinse lentils with water (I use a fine-mesh sieve).
- Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a deep frying pan. Soften diced onion and garlic for some minutes. Add the rinsed lentils, 2 tbsp of tomato paste and let it roast for 2 minutes. Douse the roasting ingredients with 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) water. Add the rosemary branch (and optional 2 bay leaves) and let the lentils simmer for about 10 minutes (medium heat).
- After 10 minutes of cooking add another 200 ml (about 1 cup) of water and the tomato puree. Then add the pumpkin seeds and season the sauce with sea salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika powder, a small tsp of smoked paprika powder (or 1 tsp of harissa) and 1 tsp cumin. Cook for another 12-15 minutes, till the lentils are nicely firm to bite (cooking time can vary according to the sort of lentils you use, so double check with the package instructions). Add more water if necessary.
- Wash and chop a bunch of fresh basil and stir it into the sauce.
- Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes. Drain the zucchini spaghetti.
- Put the zucchini pasta into two bowls, cover the spaghetti with the rich lentil bolognese. garnish with some additional pumpkin seeds, cherry tomatoes and basil. Enjoy this super delish summer dish.
Tip: In general, raw zucchini pasta is very well tolerated and easily digestible. But for those who do not want to eat raw zucchini, you can cook the spaghetti for some minutes in a pan adding 200 ml (1 cup) water. Then drain the cooking water and season the pasta with lemon juice and salt.
