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Creamy “Marry Me” Lentils Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3.8 from 20 reviews
  • Author: Emma
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This creamy “Marry Me” lentils recipe features tender lentils simmered in a fragrant, spiced tomato sauce enriched with cream, cheese, and fresh basil, delivering a rich and comforting vegetarian dish perfect for any meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes (for cooking)
  • 1 cup dry black, brown or green lentils (2.5 cups cooked, or 2 cans drained and rinsed)
  • 1 small red onion (finely diced)
  • 6 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 3/4 cup heavy (double) cream
  • 1 cup parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese
  • 1 bunch basil (chopped)
  • lemon wedges (for squeezing)

Instructions

  1. Cook Lentils. If you’re cooking your lentils from dry, start this process before you even start prepping the other ingredients. They can cook while you gather, prep and start the sauce. For black lentils:Instant Pot: 1 cup of lentils + 1.75 cups of salted water, cook on HIGH for 9 minutes, followed by a natural release for 10 minutes. Stovetop: 1 cup of lentils + 3.5 cups of salted water. Simmer for around 20 minutes until soft, but a little al dente.
  2. Sauté Onions and Garlic. In a large, deep sided saute pan, heat a few tablespoons of the oil from your sundried tomato jar. Keeping the heat low-medium, saute the onions until soft and then add the garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.
  3. Add Spices. Add the fennel seeds and saute until the fragrance is released, then quickly add a little extra oil and the smoked paprika and Italian seasoning. Saute for a few more moments (keeping the heat low) until the fragrance is released and the spices are well distributed through the oil. Move on quickly – we don’t want the spices to burn!
  4. Add Tomato Paste and Sundried Tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and sundried tomatoes and saute until they are well mixed in with the onions, garlic, spices and oil.Turn off the heat and set aside while you get your lentils ready.
  5. Drain Lentils. Drain your lentils in a sieve once they’re cooked, or if you’re using canned. The kind of sieve you use for icing sugar is ideal, as the holes in pasta colanders can be too large for lentils.Rinse them until the water is running clear – this is an important step keep the sauce from being muddied by the color of the dark cooking water.
  6. Add Lentils to Pan. Add the lentils to the pan and turn the heat back up. Mix through.
  7. Simmer with Stock. Add the vegetable stock and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Start off with the pan covered, but uncover it for the last couple of minutes. The sauce should thicken up as the lentils drink up some of the water.
  8. Stir in Cream, Cheese and Basil. Finally, stir in the cream, cheese and basil over a very low heat until the cheese has melted through and the basil has wilted into the sauce.
  9. Rest Before Serving. Allow to sit (covered) for 5 minutes to thicken up, then give it another stir and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Notes

  • Rinsing the cooked lentils thoroughly is important to prevent the sauce from being muddied by dark cooking water.
  • Cooking lentils in the Instant Pot saves time, but stovetop cooking is also a great option.
  • Keep the heat low when sautéing spices to avoid burning.

Find it online: https://yumrecipesfood.com/creamy-marry-me-lentils-recipe/