Prep Time: 10 min // Cook Time: 35 min // Total: 45 min // Serving: 7

Like many people, I want to incorporate more plant-based meals at home. However, eating total plant-based meals are a process. Therefore, I created this plant-based forward pasta that contains a minimal amount of meat but is still delicious and flavorful and with a meaty texture to help those of us transitioning into eating total plant base meals easier.

Mashing cooked lentils is the key to mimic the meat texture. After cooking and combining all the ingredients together, you will end up with a pasta that tastes is similar to bolognese pasta. Definitely a must try recipe for those of us in transitioning to plant - based eating

Ingredients:

• ½ lb spaghetti

• 2 cups diced onions (~ 1 medium)

• ½ cup dry lentils

• ¼ lb ground beef (93% lean)

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic

• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning powder

• 1-14.5 ounce diced tomatoes, no added salt

• 28 ounces marinara sauce

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1.     Wash dry lentils until water turns clear

2.     Brown the ground beef in a pan with vegetable oil on medium high heat

3.     Add diced onions and saute until the onions become soft and translucent

4.     Add chopped garlic, Italian seasoning and lentils then saute for about a minute

5.     Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce and ground cinnamon

6.     Simmer the sauce on medium low heat for 30 minutes until the lentils soften. Stir the sauce every 10 minutes to ensure the sauce does not stick to the pan

7.     While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti according to the package

8.     Mash the lentils in the sauce into small pieces

9.     Add the cooked pasta directly into the pan

10.  Serve immediately