Smoked Lentil and Mushroom Mince with Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce
Smoked Lentil and Mushroom Mince with Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce
You can't beat this combination of meaty, smoked lentils and mushrooms with bright, tangy cashew cream sauce served over a tender bed of pasta. In just under an hour, this will be on the table, ready to dig into. Serve with an arugula salad or roasted green beans for a delicious, balanced meal!
Smoked Lentil and Mushroom Mince with Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry black lentils (aka beluga lentils)
- 16 oz baby portabella mushrooms
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large sprig fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for Gluten-free option)
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lbs Casasrecce Pasta (Farfalle or Fusilli would also work), Whole wheat preferred
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp white mellow miso paste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 lemons, juice of
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring three cups of salted water to a boil.
- Add the lentils and cook until al dente (about 20 minutes).
- Drain and rinse the lentils and set aside.
- In a food processor, process the mushrooms, onion, and garlic until it almost becomes a paste.
- Add the mushroom mixture to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme and bay leaf and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated (about 5-10 minutes).
- Once there is no standing liquid in the pan, add the soy sauce, black pepper, and liquid smoke. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the lentils and cook an additional 1 minute. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
- As the pasta cooks, blend the cashews, lemon juice, miso paste, nutritional yeast, salt, and water in a high-speed blender on "high" until perfectly smooth (see notes if you don't have a high-speed blender).
- Add the lemon cream sauce to a large sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens into the consistency of heavy cream.
- Stir in the pasta.
- Serve topped with the smoked lentil and mushroom mince and a sprinkling of lemon zest. Enjoy!
Notes:
- If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in boiling water for about 20 minutes before blending. This will soften the cashews and make them easier for less powerful blenders to turn into cream.
- If you cannot find black lentils, French green lentils could be substituted (not red or brown lentils, though!).
- I think the ideal way to eat this combination would be in ravioli, with the lentil mixture inside the pasta and the cream sauce poured over top. BUT WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT?! If you do have time, please give it a go and let me know what you think.
Calories
393.12Fat (grams)
11.14Sat. Fat (grams)
1.83Carbs (grams)
61.81Fiber (grams)
13.50Net carbs
48.31Sugar (grams)
7.50Protein (grams)
21.82Sodium (milligrams)
1150.41Cholesterol (grams)
0.16About the Recipe:
A few weeks ago, I started craving the combination of lemon and smoke. Not cigars, liquid smoke. The brightness, acidity, and subtle sweetness of lemon paired with the rich umami of liquid smoke sounded amazing. So I set to work to find a way to combine those two flavors. The result is this recipe.
In an ideal world, I would serve this smoky mince made of lentils, mushrooms, and onions inside homemade ravioli, then drizzle the lemon cream sauce over the top. But who has time to make fresh ravioli at the drop of a hat? Not I. So I went with a pasta variety that could trap the mince while being covered in the creamy lemon sauce. If you find yourself making ravioli though, I think this combo would be a winner!
To start, I boil the black lentils (my favorite variety for their toothsome texture). While boiling, I process the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a food processor until it almost becomes a puree. This is best done in batches if you have a smaller food processor.
Then, I add the mushroom mixture along with the herbs to a saucepan over medium heat and allow all the liquid to cook off. Once there’s no more visible liquid in the bottom of the pan, I add the remaining seasonings and stir to combine. About this time, the lentils are usually done cooking. I drain them and pop them in with mushroom mixture.
The rest comes together quickly, with the pasta being cooked, the lemon cream sauce getting blended, then simmered for just a minute or two so it thickens up. Once the pasta is tossed in the sauce, grab your bowl and start serving!
RECIPE NOTES
If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in boiling water for about 20 minutes before blending. This will soften the cashews and make them easier for less powerful blenders to turn into cream.
If you cannot find black lentils, French green lentils could be substituted (not red or brown lentils, though!).
I think the ideal way to eat this combination would be in ravioli, with the lentil mixture inside the pasta and the cream sauce poured over top. BUT WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT?! If you do have time, please give it a go and let me know what you think.
Did you make this recipe? I want to hear about it! Hit me up on Instagram @notlikemama or leave a comment below. I love to see your versions of my recipes!
The next time you’re craving pasta, I hope you’ll give this one a try and let me know what you think! I can’t get enough of that smokey/lemony combo.
Happy Cooking
Courtney
