A quick, easy and healthy meat-free family recipe, all cooked in one pot and ready in just 15 minutes.
Welcome back to the Quick & Easy Mid Week Meals series. This Tomato, Basil & Lentil One Pot Pasta is a fast, nutritious and budget-friendly family dinner that’s ready in about 15 minutes.
It’s my new favourite for busy evenings: minimal prep, one pan to wash up and plenty of flavour. I’ve reduced the meat in our weekly meals recently and swapped in lentils for protein, fibre and iron. Canned cooked green lentils work particularly well here — they’re convenient, affordable and blend seamlessly with the pasta so picky eaters often don’t even notice them.
If you enjoy this, I’d love to hear your favourite lentil recipes — they’re versatile and perfect for bulking up dishes without adding meat. For full step-by-step guidance there’s a short video and written instructions below.
I love seeing your results — tag me on social with the hashtag #myfussyeater if you try this. I enjoy seeing photos and hearing how families get on with the recipe.
Tomato, Basil & Lentil One Pot Pasta
5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Ciara Attwell @ My Fussy Eater
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A quick, easy and healthy meat-free family recipe, all cooked in one pot and ready in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300g / 10.5 oz spaghetti
- 600ml / 2 & ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 can (400g) / 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 200g / 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 125g / 4.5 oz cooked green lentils (canned or pre-cooked)
- 15–20 pitted black olives
Instructions
- Place the spaghetti, vegetable stock, canned chopped tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, chopped red pepper, basil leaves and dried mixed herbs into a large pan. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spaghetti is tender and the sauce has reduced. If the sauce starts to dry out, add a little extra vegetable stock.
- Stir in the cooked lentils and pitted black olives, cook for a further 2 minutes to heat through and combine the flavours.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra fresh basil if you like.
IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Creamy Basil Pesto Spaghetti:
If you like quick, creamy pasta dishes that are family-friendly, this is another great option to keep on rotation.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese:
A great way to sneak vegetables into kids’ meals — creamy, comforting and suitable for toddlers and baby-led weaning.
