Spaghetti lentil-nese

For 4 servings

• 300 grams of spaghetti
• 1 eggplant
• 250 grams of cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp of paprika powder
• 1 tsp of oregano
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 2 tbsp of tomato purée
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 can (±250 grams) of lentils (red or brown)
• 1/2 can of vegetable stock, or 1 bouillon cube & 1/2 can of water
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• A handful of fresh basil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Optionally, for cheese lovers, the cheese of your choice 😉

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Chop the eggplant and slice the tomatoes in half. Clean the garlic. Put the whole garlic cloves, eggplant, and tomatoes on a tray. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of oil, a touch of salt, pepper, and oregano—Bake in the oven for ±30 min.

Cook the spaghetti following the directions on the package.

Mince the onion and stir-fry in 1 tbsp of oil. After about 2 min, add the paprika powder, oregano, and chili powder. Then, stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, lentils, and vegetable stock. Let it simmer for about 10-15 min.

Take out the garlic cloves from the oven and squash them. Add the garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, salt, and pepper to the sauce.

Serve the spaghetti with the lentil-nese sauce, roasted veg, and top with some fresh basil leaves. Optionally for the cheese lover: add some parmesan or other (plant-based) cheese.