Martin's Pasta Sauce with Lentils

 

The background story of the recipe today is not very spectacular, but don't let that fool you. Sometimes you need recipes that have been growing slowly, and in fact, for years. When I asked Martin to share his pasta sauce recipe I also asked for the story behind it. The answer was simple, the dish is something he has made regularly since he started cooking. It has gone from bland and watery to creamy and well seasoned. I guess. Actually I only know this dish from the last year or so. Other people had to put up with the blandness. If Martin would cook all meals himself, he says he would make this 2.5 times a week(My guess is: 4 times.). Even though I think it says more about him and his ambitions when it comes to cooking, he's really passionate about this sauce.

Martin's Pasta Sauce with Lentils
This is a very basic recipe, more like a method, but try it out and make it your own by varying spices, veggies and what not.

What you'll need:
1/2 cup red or yellow lentils
bullion cube
vegetable oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 big carrot or 1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs tomato paste
spices and herbs (choose what you like, for example: thyme+oregano, cumin+coriander+curry), by taste
1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz)
1 tsp granulated sugar
hot sauce (such as tabasco), a couple of splashes
salt and black pepper by taste

Boil the lentils in double amount of water together with the bullion cube. Keep the lid on, they're done when soft and the water has absorbed. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, garlic and vegetables in the oil in a pan until golden and somewhat softened. When the lentils are done, add them to the pan together with tomato paste and spices, and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, until some of the water from the tomatoes has gone away. Serve with pasta.