I was given a packet of red lentil and beetroot spiral pasta last week. I didn't even know it existed! A friend had spotted it in a local Aldi store and thought it might be worth an experiment.
I decided to try it out and make a Saturday night main meal ..... I must admit I was very happy with the overall result, although the pasta did lose at lot of its dark red beetroot colour during the cooking process, which was a tad disappointing. A quick meal though, that only took about 15 mins from start to finish, so I can't argue with that. You could use hot or cold as I'm sure this would make a nice pasta salad dish too. If you fancy stepping away from the norm, why not give it a go!
Ingredients
100g Red Lentil & Beetroot Pasta
Half a red onion, thinly sliced
10-12 fresh plum tomatoes, halved
Half a red pepper, finely chopped
splash of olive oil (I used lime & chilli flavour)
1 fresh beetroot (not pickled) finely chopped
Qtr block of feta cheese, chopped.
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Chilli flakes (add to your own taste)
Method
Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook to the packet instructions.
Whilst the pasta is cooking put a splash of oil into a frying pan or mini wok style of pan, on a medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 mins till they have softened.
Then add in the red peppers and continue cooking for another 2-3 mins.
Next add in the halved plum tomatoes and chilli flakes. Leave to cook for another 4 mins stirring occasionally.
Use half the feta and add to the pan. Stir in the feta till it melts to make a creamy sauce.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan ensuring that all the pasta is coated in the feta, tomato mixture.
Serve into a pasta bowl and top with the rest of the feta and the chopped beetroot - enjoy!
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