An Earthy, Delicious Pasta Sauce

This ruby colored sauce is a lot more than it may appear. It has a rich peppery flavor, with lots of lycopene and vitamins, and a good amount of protein.

Red Pepper-Lentil Pasta Sauce

2 red bell peppers, chopped well
2 large cans of diced tomatoes, in tomato puree
2/3 cup dried red lentils, ground (it's easy - use a coffee grinder)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chile flakes
2-3 T of brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 T olive oil

In a large, fairly deep saucepan, saute the the chopped red peppers in 3 Tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the ground lentils to the pan and stir often for about 2 minutes, making sure nothing sticks to the pan.

Add the canned tomatoes to the pot along with the minced garlic, chile flakes and brown sugar. Stir everything together well, then cover and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat. Check the sauce often, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, and add a bit of water if it starts to get a bit too thick.

Serve this wonderful sauce over pasta or polenta. It makes great leftovers, and can also be turned into a delightful soup, if you feel like going in that direction.