Cheap & Cheerful One‑Pot Tomato, Lentil and Spinach Pasta

Name: Cheap & Cheerful One‑Pot Tomato, Lentil and Spinach Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 320 g dried penne; 150 g red lentils; 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes; 1 brown onion; 3 garlic cloves; 900 ml vegetable stock; 160 g fresh spinach; 30 ml olive oil; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.25 tsp chilli flakes

A thrifty, tasty one‑pot pasta with red lentils and spinach — ready in 30 minutes and utterly comforting.

Prep 10 min Cook 20 min 4 servings

Vegan Vegetarian Nut-free

This is a proper budget hero: simple storecupboard ingredients, minimal washing up and big on comfort. Red lentils bulk it out so you get extra protein and a silky sauce without needing cream or cheese. Perfect for a quick midweek supper, student cooking or when you want something filling without faff. It’s vegan as written and scales up easily if you’ve friends to feed.

Ingredients

320 g dried penne
150 g red lentils — brown‑red split lentils cook quickly
800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 brown onion — about 150 g
3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
900 ml vegetable stock — use low‑salt if you prefer
160 g fresh spinach
30 ml olive oil
5 ml dried oregano
5 ml sugar — balances acidity
5 ml salt — add extra at the end if needed
5 ml black pepper
0 ml chilli flakes — optional

Equipment

large, deep frying pan with lid
measuring jug
wooden spoon

Instructions

Peel and finely chop the brown onion. Peel and thinly slice or crush the garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent — about 6–8 minutes.
Add the garlic, dried oregano and chilli flakes (if using) and fry for 60 seconds until fragrant.
Tip in the tinned chopped tomatoes, red lentils, dried penne, vegetable stock, sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low‑medium, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 3–4 minutes so the pasta and lentils cook evenly and nothing sticks to the base.
Remove the lid, stir the fresh spinach through and cook for a further 2 minutes until wilted and everything is creamy and combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Serve straight from the pan with an extra drizzle of olive oil or a grind of black pepper if liked.

Tips

Use split red lentils (not whole brown lentils) — they break down and thicken the sauce in the cooking time.
If the pan looks dry before the timer is up, add small splashes (50–100 ml) of boiling water rather than turning the heat up; that keeps the sauce glossy.
Make‑ahead: cool completely, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock.
To keep costs down choose supermarket own brand tinned tomatoes and pasta — the dish still sings.
If you like a sharper finish, stir in a teaspoon of red wine vinegar or lemon juice at the end.

Substitutions

fresh spinach → frozen leaf spinach, 200 g (thaw and squeeze out excess water before adding)
Stays close
dried penne → any dried pasta such as fusilli or rigatoni, 320 g
Stays close
red lentils → tinned brown lentils, 400 g drained (add them at the end to heat through rather than during the simmer)
Noticeably different
olive oil → dairy butter, 30 g (will make the dish non‑vegan and give a richer flavour)
Noticeably different
tinned chopped tomatoes → passata, 700 ml plus 100 ml water
Stays close

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

517
Calories: 20 g
Protein: 89 g
Carbs: 9 g
Fat: 9 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sugar: 550 mg
Sodium

FAQ

Can I use a different lentil?

Split red lentils are best because they break down quickly. Whole lentils (green/brown) will remain firm and need much longer cooking; use tinned lentils instead and add at the end.

My sauce is too watery — how do I fix it?

Simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce, or mash a couple of spoonfuls of the lentils/pasta against the pan to thicken the sauce.

Can I add cheese?

Yes — stir in grated cheddar or vegetarian hard cheese at the end. That will make it non‑vegan but adds a lovely creaminess.

How do I make this spicier?

Increase the chilli flakes to 1 tsp, add a pinch of cayenne when frying the garlic, or finish with a smear of harissa.

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Mediterranean

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Ingredients

320 g dried penne

150 g red lentils — brown‑red split lentils cook quickly

800 g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 brown onion — about 150 g

3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed

900 ml vegetable stock — use low‑salt if you prefer

160 g fresh spinach

30 ml olive oil

5 ml dried oregano

5 ml sugar — balances acidity

5 ml salt — add extra at the end if needed

5 ml black pepper

0 ml chilli flakes — optional

Instructions

Peel and finely chop the brown onion. Peel and thinly slice or crush the garlic cloves.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent — about 6–8 minutes.

Add the garlic, dried oregano and chilli flakes (if using) and fry for 60 seconds until fragrant.

Tip in the tinned chopped tomatoes, red lentils, dried penne, vegetable stock, sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the heat to low‑medium, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 3–4 minutes so the pasta and lentils cook evenly and nothing sticks to the base.

Remove the lid, stir the fresh spinach through and cook for a further 2 minutes until wilted and everything is creamy and combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

Serve straight from the pan with an extra drizzle of olive oil or a grind of black pepper if liked.

Tips

Use split red lentils (not whole brown lentils) — they break down and thicken the sauce in the cooking time.

If the pan looks dry before the timer is up, add small splashes (50–100 ml) of boiling water rather than turning the heat up; that keeps the sauce glossy.

Make‑ahead: cool completely, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock.

To keep costs down choose supermarket own brand tinned tomatoes and pasta — the dish still sings.

If you like a sharper finish, stir in a teaspoon of red wine vinegar or lemon juice at the end.

Substitutions

fresh spinach → frozen leaf spinach, 200 g (thaw and squeeze out excess water before adding)

Stays close

dried penne → any dried pasta such as fusilli or rigatoni, 320 g

Stays close

red lentils → tinned brown lentils, 400 g drained (add them at the end to heat through rather than during the simmer)

Noticeably different

olive oil → dairy butter, 30 g (will make the dish non‑vegan and give a richer flavour)

Noticeably different

tinned chopped tomatoes → passata, 700 ml plus 100 ml water

Stays close

FAQ

Can I use a different lentil?

Split red lentils are best because they break down quickly. Whole lentils (green/brown) will remain firm and need much longer cooking; use tinned lentils instead and add at the end.

My sauce is too watery — how do I fix it?

Simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce, or mash a couple of spoonfuls of the lentils/pasta against the pan to thicken the sauce.

Can I add cheese?

Yes — stir in grated cheddar or vegetarian hard cheese at the end. That will make it non‑vegan but adds a lovely creaminess.

How do I make this spicier?

Increase the chilli flakes to 1 tsp, add a pinch of cayenne when frying the garlic, or finish with a smear of harissa.

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Tips

Substitutions

Nutrition

FAQ

Community Photos

Rate this recipe

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Fancy your own version?

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Tips

Substitutions

Nutrition

FAQ

Community Photos

Rate this recipe

More like this

Smoked salmon, lemon zest and petit pois risotto

Wild garlic pesto pasta with peas, lemon and toasted walnuts

Courgette, lemon ricotta and chilli-honey crostini

Halloumi, courgette and red pepper skewers with chilli‑honey glaze

Fancy your own version?