When you want to get dinner on the table in under 10 minutes and you haven’t been shopping for a while, your answer is this 5 ingredient lentil bolognese. Tegan provided me with this cheap, cheerful and simple 5 ingredient recipe for a quick family meal that uses #PantryStaples. I am sharing it along with some presentation ideas for making lentil bolognese a bit more enticing for fussy eaters.
- 1 Onion, finely diced
- 1 Can Passata Sauce
- 1 Can Salt Reduced Brown Lentils, drained and rinsed
- ½ Tbsp Italian Spices
- Pasta, follow pack instructions to cook (varies depending on style)
- Boil a jug and get your pasta cooking in a pot of boiling water.
- Meanwhile, in a pre-heated nonstick pan, cook the onion stirring frequently until it slightly chars and caramelizes on the outside.
- Add the passata, brown lentils and italian spices and heat through.
- If your family like their sauce more smooth, give it a quick blitz with a handheld mixer or if lumpy is OK, this will get the meal on the table even quicker!
- Serve from the pot with the drained pasta from the table.
Alternative Serving Ideas
- Have some shredded kale, spinach and parsley in the middle of the table as garnish.
- Serve with crusty bread, salad or garlic bread.
- For a non-vegan option, you can add diced bacon in with the onion or parmesan in with the lentils.
- Try these other uses for lentil bolognese that are perfect for leftovers (including pizza sauce base, tacos and more.)
- Lately, we have been using wholegrain wok-ready noodles for really quick meals. In the picture, I also teamed this with some spiralised sweet potato that I microwaved for 3 minutes before mixing it with the wok-noodles. I love making rainbow pasta with the kids using a spiraliser. Here is my simple zucchini noodle go-to dish of tahini beef.
This is another installment of my 5 ingredient meal ideas for busy familys. The other meals have lots of tips too to change up how to serve them, especially with fussy kids! I dive into the sauce-loving-or-loathing conundrum in Kimberley’s rissoles. I also talk about how I served up Shiri’s Japanese Chicken Curry, even though I was sure my kids would turn their nose up at it.
Here is your free no-strings-attached printable to inspire you to cook all 9 recipes in this blog series:
Have you found yourself stuck planning your way around the changes in kid’s routines as their needs change? Here is my post all about how I have adapted many meals to suit our situation, “Is witching hour spoiling your plans for a happy mealtime?”. I am sure it will resonate with you.
What 5 ingredient dinner is your go-to?
Thanks for reading and sharing!
Simone
