By: Lisa M. Pressey
Yellow Lentil Pasta with Sausage is a very satisfying meal and the kicker is, there’s no animal protein. Truth is, you don’t need animal protein to survive. You get plenty of protein from the pasta and the beyond sausage. The more I delve into a vegan diet the more I see you can get plenty of protein from plants. Best part is, I feel really healthy.
Lately, I have been searching for more ways to add protein to my meals without having meat. Pasta made with lentils, peas, or beans make a great option. The wonderful thing about pasta made from legumes, is the amount of protein contained in 3 ounces. The yellow lentil pasta has 17 grams of protein! You are not just eating a big pile of carbohydrates. Sometime I just want a bowl of pasta, so now I get my protein, fiber, and carbohydrates all in one. They are also very satisfying.
Yellow lentil pasta with sausage is a plant based meal that is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan.
INGREDIENTS
- yellow lentil pasta
- Beyond Italian sausage
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- spinach
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- salt
- pepper
You can also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of the yellow lentil pasta with sausage.
DIRECTIONS
- Take the sausage out of its casing and brown it in a pan.
- In another pot bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil for the pasta. When the water gets to a rolling boil add pasta, stir, reduce heat to a gentle boil, then cook for 7-9 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and reduce liquid by half.
- Add in lemon juice, zest, and garlic.
- Drain the pasta, add to the pan and stir to combine. Add the spinach, then cook until it wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Serve immediately.
You can also substitute chickpea, black bean, green pea, or any other high protein pasta that you wish.
Plant based diets are becoming more and more popular for several reasons. It can help reduce the risk of chronic disease and also reverse some diseases. My number one choice is lowering the risk of cancer. I am a cancer survivor and believe that switching to a plant based diet saved my life.