THE BELLY KITCHEN · Dinner
Tomato & Lentil Protein Fusilli
Tinned lentils, tomatoes and finely chopped vegetables make a hearty sauce for Fusilli. A straightforward vegetarian cupboard dinner for two.
Published · BELLY Editorial
Let’s get cooking ↓AI-generated serving illustration
Original BELLY editorial recipe; not yet kitchen-tested
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Ingredients
For 2 people
- 150g BELLY Fusilli, weighed dry
- 1 x 400g tin cooked brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (about 240g drained)
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 small onion (about 100g), finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot (about 80g), cut into small dice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 100ml water, plus up to 100ml reserved pasta water as needed
- 5g fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
APRON ON. WATER BOILING.
Let’s make it.
- 1
Drain and rinse the tinned lentils. Chop the onion, carrot and garlic. Set a wide saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil.
- 2
Add the onion and carrot. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until starting to soften. Reduce the heat if the onion colours too quickly. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée for 1 minute.
- 3
Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano and 100ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check that the carrot is tender; give it a few more minutes if needed.
- 4
Stir in the drained cooked lentils and simmer gently for 5 minutes until hot throughout. Add a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick, or simmer a little longer if watery. Taste and season.
- 5
While the sauce finishes, cook the Fusilli in a separate pan according to its pack instructions. Reserve 100ml of the cooking water, then drain.
- 6
Add the Fusilli to the sauce and fold gently over low heat for about 1 minute. Add reserved water a tablespoon at a time only if needed to loosen the coating; you may not use it all.
- 7
Divide between two bowls and finish with the optional basil. Serve hot. Cool and refrigerate any leftovers within two hours, use within 48 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Get the sauce how you like it before the pasta joins the pan. A small splash of water goes a long way.
Make it yours. Keep it clear.
Allow approximately 10 minutes preparation and 25 minutes cooking, overlapping pasta cooking with the sauce. Times are estimates and depend on vegetable size and pack instructions. Original editorial recipe; not yet kitchen-tested.
Use cooked tinned lentils for this method. Dried lentils are not a direct weight-for-weight substitution and require their own cooking instructions. Check the drained weight on your tin.
Each serving contains 75g dry Fusilli, contributing 15g protein from pasta alone using the supplier’s 20g per 100g dry figure. This is not the protein total for the finished meal.
Allergens: BELLY Fusilli contains wheat (gluten) and lupin; its supplier ingredients also include oat fibre. Check all ingredient labels and the current pasta pack. This recipe is not gluten-free.
Penne can replace Fusilli; use its pack timing. Basil is optional. Any extra toppings may change allergens and nutrition. Follow shorter use-by dates when storing leftovers.
Understand dry-weight pasta nutrition · Build a cupboard pasta dinner
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Sources checked 2026-10-16
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