Description
Creamy “Marry Me” Lentils is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender lentils simmered in a rich sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fennel seeds, Italian herbs, smoky paprika, tomato paste, and finished with cream, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Served with a squeeze of lemon for freshness, this recipe makes a perfect hearty vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Lentils
- 1 cup dry black, brown or green lentils (2.5 cups cooked) or 2 cans drained and rinsed
Sauce and Seasoning
- Oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes, for cooking
- 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
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable stock
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy (double) cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese, grated
- 1 bunch basil, chopped
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Cook Lentils: If cooking lentils from dry, prepare them first. For Instant Pot cooking, combine 1 cup lentils with 1.75 cups salted water and cook on HIGH pressure for 9 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. For stovetop, simmer 1 cup lentils in 3.5 cups salted water for around 20 minutes until tender but slightly al dente. Drain and rinse lentils thoroughly to remove cooking water color.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat a few tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar in a large deep sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until soft. Add crushed garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Spices: Add crushed fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant. Quickly add extra oil if needed, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning, stirring to coat and release flavors without burning the spices. Cook briefly.
- Incorporate Tomato Ingredients: Stir in the tomato paste and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, cooking until fully blended with the aromatics and spices. Turn off heat and set aside while preparing lentils.
- Add Lentils and Stock: Return heat to medium, add drained lentils to the pan, and mix well. Pour in the vegetable stock, cover the pan, and simmer for 8 minutes, then uncover and simmer for 2 more minutes to thicken the sauce as the lentils absorb liquid.
- Finish with Cream, Cheese & Basil: Reduce heat to very low, stir in the heavy cream, grated cheese, and chopped basil. Cook gently until the cheese melts and basil wilts into the creamy sauce.
- Rest and Serve: Cover the pan and let the dish rest for 5 minutes to thicken further. Stir once more and serve with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the lentils.
Notes
- Using lentils drained well and rinsed prevents muddying the sauce color.
- Adjust the cream quantity for a lighter or richer texture as preferred.
- Parmesan can be substituted with pecorino or any Italian hard cheese based on availability.
- For vegan variation, replace cream and cheese with coconut cream and nutritional yeast, respectively.
- Low and slow cooking of aromatics and spices helps develop deeper flavors without burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
