Red Lentil Marinara Sauce

By MKMILLION

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole fire-roasted tomatoes (plain whole tomatoes will work fine too)
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, green peppers, and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for one more minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, wine, lentils, and honey. Stir to incorporate.

Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer sauce for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir in parsley. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve as desired. Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.