MediterraneanPasta / noodles

Weeknight Lentil Ragù Pasta

An entry-level wholegrain pasta with a chunky lentil ragù, basil, lemon, nutritional yeast and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Eat nowHeartyContains gluten
Hands-on24 minTotal time31 minEnergy627 kcalProtein38g
Recipe details
Easy-going

Equipment: Hob

Keep chilled after cooking

Weeknight Lentil Ragù Pasta
Servings1 standard portionAdjust

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Standard portions

About 700 kcal per adult reference portion

Making 1 standard portion. Ingredients, instructions and Cooking Mode update together.

Doubling up barely adds effort and covers another mealtime.

Ingredients

Sauce

Finish

Seasoning

Now we make

Method

Do the night before

  1. 1
    Defrost 140g cooked green lentils overnight in the fridge if using frozen

These steps sit outside the cooking-day clock.

24 min hands-on 31 min altogether
  1. 2
    Toast 12g pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant; let it cool before using
    🖐 3 min
  2. 3
    Cook 80g dry wholegrain pasta (penne or another short tubular shape) in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining
    🖐 2 min💤 10 min unattended
  3. 4
    While the pasta cooks, warm 5ml olive oil in a pan and soften ¼ finely diced white onion for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tbsp tomato paste, ¾ tsp dried oregano and ¼ tsp smoked paprika, then stir for 30 seconds until the paste darkens slightly
    🖐 5 min
  4. 5
    Add 220g chopped tomato, green lentils, 40g spinach, 1 pinch black pepper and 1 pinch salt. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, pressing the tomato and a few lentils against the pan as they soften, until the sauce is thick but still loose enough to coat the pasta
    🖐 10 min💤 2 min unattended
  5. 6
    Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss with a splash of pasta water until glossy and well coated
    🖐 2 min
  6. 7
    Tear 5g fresh basil. Finish with 10ml lemon juice, 12g nutritional yeast, pumpkin seeds and basil. Eat straight away while the sauce is hot and loose
    🖐 2 min

Look under the lid

Nutrition details

Nutrition is shown for one standard portion, not the whole batch selected above.

Explore full nutrition

Nutrition summary

At a glance

Higher inVitamin KSeleniumPhosphorus
Lower inCalciumCholineVitamin E

Calories

627kcal

30%
Top contributors
Wholegrain Pasta · 43%Green Lentils · 20%Pumpkin Seeds · 11%
24% cal

Protein

37.9g

60%
Top contributors
Green Lentils · 33%Wholegrain Pasta · 29%Nutritional Yeast · 15%
54% cal

Carbs

85.4g

Top contributors
Wholegrain Pasta · 52%Green Lentils · 25%Tomato · 8%
21% cal

Fat

14.9g

21%
Top contributors
Pumpkin Seeds · 40%Olive Oil · 30%Wholegrain Pasta · 16%

Small numbers, big impact

Everyday essentials

Fibre28.40g
97%
Top contributors
Green Lentils · 39%Wholegrain Pasta · 26%Nutritional Yeast · 10%
Vitamin B121.92μg
80%
Top contributors
Nutritional Yeast · 100%
Vitamin D0.00μg
0%
Iodine0.00μg
0%
Iron12.76mg
71%
Top contributors
Green Lentils · 37%Wholegrain Pasta · 23%Oregano · 9%
Zinc6.03mg
55%
Top contributors
Wholegrain Pasta · 39%Green Lentils · 29%Pumpkin Seeds · 16%
Calcium195.32mg
20%
Top contributors
Oregano · 25%Spinach · 20%Green Lentils · 14%

Nutrients food alone won't reliably cover

These three are commonly under-consumed across all diets, not just plant-based ones - the difference is mainly B12, which has no whole plant food source at all.

  • Vitamin B12: is absent from whole plant foods entirely - the number above only reflects fortified ingredients (nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk). A reliable B12 supplement or fortified source is the standard recommendation for a fully plant-based diet, regardless of what any single day's total shows.
  • Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): most people fall short here regardless of diet - the typical omnivore diet doesn't include much oily fish either. This app only tracks ALA, the plant form (flax, walnuts, hemp, chia). The body converts some ALA to EPA and very little to DHA - the forms most directly used by the brain, eyes and heart - and that conversion is inefficient. An algae-oil supplement is the usual plant-based way to get EPA/DHA directly; it won't show up as an ingredient in any recipe here.
  • Vitamin D: deficiency is widespread across all diets, not just plant-based ones - it's mostly absent from whole plant foods here, and even the fortified soy milk and yogurt tracked don't cover the full target from food alone. Reasonable sun exposure or a D2/D3 supplement is the standard recommendation.

Not medical advice - if you're eating fully plant-based long-term, it's worth a conversation with a GP or dietitian, and a blood test is the reliable way to check where you actually stand.

See the full supplement guide (incl. creatine) →
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