Sausage and Lentil Pasta

Ingredients

• 1red onion
• 1 tbspunsalted butter
• 8sausages
• 50 gchorizo
• 1carrot
• 2 teaspoons (or 2 cloves)ready garlic (or fresh garlic)
• 1 tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
• 250 gcooked Puy lentils
• 1 tablespoontomato purée
• 1courgette
• 500 gpassata
• 1 tinchopped tomatoes
• to tastesalt and pepper
• as neededpasta of choice
• a few leavesfresh basil

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the onion

   Peel and chop the red onion. Put it in a pan over a low to medium heat with the oil and butter, and cook slowly until soft.

2. 2

   Brown the sausages

   While the onion cooks, cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pan and cook until browned on the outside.

3. 3

   Add the chorizo

   Add the chorizo for flavour and colour, stirring as it cooks.

4. 4

   Add the carrot

   Chop the carrot into small cubes and add it to the pan.

5. 5

   Stir in garlic

   Add the ready garlic or fresh garlic and stir. Keep an eye on the pan so the mixture does not burn.

6. 6

   Add the vinegar

   Pour in the white wine vinegar.

7. 7

   Stir in lentils

   Add the cooked Puy lentils and stir them through the mixture.

8. 8

   Mix in purée

   Add the tomato purée and stir to combine.

9. 9

   Add the courgette

   Chop the courgette and add it to the pan.

10. 10

    Add the tomatoes

    Stir in the passata and the tin of chopped tomatoes.

11. 11

    Simmer the sauce

    Leave the sauce to simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes. Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed.

12. 12

    Serve with pasta

    Serve with your chosen pasta and top each serving with a fresh basil leaf.

What is sausage and lentil pasta?

This is a family-style pasta dish built around sausages, lentils and a tomato sauce. Puy lentils are French green lentils, while the recipe’s English character comes through in its simple, filling combination of sausages and vegetables.

Here, chorizo adds savoury depth and the lentils make the sauce more substantial. A long, gentle simmer lets the ingredients cook together before the sauce is served with pasta.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 350 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The pasta and lentils provide most of the carbohydrates, while the sausages, butter and chorizo contribute much of the fat and protein. Add a green salad or extra vegetables alongside a serving to bring more variety to the plate.

Build the flavour in stages

Onion: cook it slowly until soft before adding the meat, so it has time to sweeten without taking on too much colour.

Sausages and chorizo: brown the sausage pieces on the outside, then stir in the chorizo. Keep the mixture moving as you add the garlic so it does not catch.

Make the most of the lentils

Cooked Puy lentils go into the pan after the vinegar, followed by the tomato purée. Stir well so the lentils are distributed through the sauce and the purée is mixed in.

The recipe uses ready-cooked lentils, so they need warming through rather than a separate cooking stage. Check the pack if your lentils need any preparation first.

Let the sauce simmer gently

Once the passata and chopped tomatoes are in, keep the pan at a low simmer for 45 minutes. A gentle heat helps the sauce cook without scorching on the base.

Taste near the end and adjust the salt and pepper to suit. The sausages and chorizo can bring their own seasoning, so check before adding much.

Check the texture

The courgette and carrot should be tender after simmering, while the sauce should remain thick enough to cling to pasta. If it starts sticking, lower the heat and stir the pan.

Cook the pasta of your choice separately and serve it with the finished sauce. The recipe does not specify a pasta quantity, so prepare enough for your table.

Serve and finish

A fresh basil leaf on top gives each serving a fragrant finish. Serve the pasta and sauce together while hot.

A simple green salad or steamed vegetables can sit alongside the dish if you want to add a fresh side.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the sausages into similar-sized pieces so they brown at a similar pace.
• Keep the heat low to medium while softening the onion and watch the garlic closely once it is added.
• Stir after adding the lentils and tomato purée so they are evenly mixed through.
• Use a low simmer for the full 45 minutes and stir if the sauce begins to catch.
• Taste the sauce before seasoning, as the sausages and chorizo may already be salty.
• The method mentions oil alongside the butter, but the ingredient list gives no oil quantity.

Variations

• Choose your pasta: use any pasta shape you like, as the recipe does not specify one.
• Use fresh garlic: replace the ready garlic with the listed 2 cloves of fresh garlic.
• Adjust the chorizo: use less for a milder chorizo flavour while keeping the rest of the sauce the same.
• Add extra courgette: increase the courgette for more vegetables in the sauce.
• Finish with basil: tear the basil leaves over the pasta just before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Cooking the onion too quickly: keep the heat low to medium and cook it slowly until soft.
• Letting the garlic burn: stir it in and keep a close eye on the pan.
• Boiling the sauce hard: lower the heat so it simmers gently for 45 minutes.
• Seasoning too early: taste the sauce near the end, then add salt and pepper as needed.
• Adding lentils without stirring: mix them through so they are spread across the sauce.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover sauce in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat it in a pan over a low heat until piping hot, stirring as it warms; cook fresh pasta for serving if possible.

Frequently asked questions