One Pot Pasta with Cheesy Lentil Sauce: Creamy Tomato Family Dinner
By Emma Collins
Prep
5 min
Cook
20 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Put this on the table when a family needs a fast, filling pasta dinner. One Pot Pasta with Cheesy Lentil Sauce cooks dry pasta in tomatoes with green or brown lentils, then finishes with melted cheddar for a thick, creamy tomato sauce with gentle Italian-herb flavor.
Five cloves of garlic, mixed Italian herbs, and drained lentils get a brief sauté before canned tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar make the base. Dry pasta cooks directly in that sauce with water measured in the empty tomato can. The cheddar goes in last, giving the quick-cooked tomato base more body and a cheese-forward finish.
Regular stirring keeps the pasta moving as the pan reaches a simmer, and it is ready when the pasta is al dente and the cheese melts into an even sauce. The key adjustment is liquid: thick, long-cooking pasta can need extra water, while quick-cooking macaroni may need less from the start. If the pasta is done but the sauce looks thin, let it cook uncovered briefly or stir in more tomato paste.
Serve the pasta straight from the pan while the cheddar is fully melted and the sauce coats the spirals. It makes four large servings, which suits a family dinner without separate pots to wash. Use a wide pan that lets you stir down to the bottom, especially as the sauce reduces around the pasta.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Busy weeknights are easier to manage because dry pasta, lentils, tomatoes, and cheddar cook in one pan, leaving minimal chopping and fewer dishes afterward.
- Families get four large servings from a familiar macaroni-style dinner, while green or brown lentils blend into the sauce instead of dominating each bowl.
- Kids and lentil skeptics can enjoy the mild tomato-and-cheddar direction because the lentils add texture without taking over the pasta.
- The 20-minute cook time fits an evening meal because garlic, lentils, sauce, pasta, and cheese move through one continuous pan process.
- Flexible pasta choices help use what is in the cupboard, since the recipe explains how thicker or quicker-cooking shapes change the water needed.
- Leftover portions remain convenient for another meal because the thick sauce can be loosened gently with water as the pasta absorbs liquid.
Ingredients
- •5 cloves garlic (minced)
- •2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- •1 can green or brown lentils (drained)
- •2 Tbsp tomato paste
- •2 cans chopped or whole tomatoes (14 oz / 400 g cans)
- •0.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
- •0.5 tsp brown sugar
- •300 g dried pasta (11 oz)
- •1.5 tomato cans water (use the empty tomato can for measuring)
- •170 g cheddar cheese (6 oz, grated)
Instructions
- 1
In a large pan, sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- 2
Add the mixed Italian herbs and drained lentils, then mix for another minute.
- 3
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar to form the tomato sauce.
- 4
Add the dried pasta to the pan.
- 5
Fill an empty tomato can one and a half times with water and add it to the pan.
- 6
Bring the pan to a simmer.
- 7
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the pasta is al dente.
- 8
If the sauce thickens before the pasta is cooked, add extra water; if the cooked pasta sauce is too thin, cook uncovered for a few more minutes or add more tomato paste.
- 9
Add the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- 10
Serve.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
567
Protein
26g
Fat
16g
Carbs
81.4g
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