Name: Quick and Easy Black Lentil Marinara Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 large shallots, finely diced; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes; 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 1, 15-ounce can black lentils, drained and rinsed (or cook your own and use 1.5 cups cooked black lentils); 2 cups marinara sauce; ½ cup homemade dairy-free heavy cream sauce; Garnishes (optional): fresh basil (finely diced), red pepper chili flakes and/or vegan parmesan cheese

Give pasta night a nutritional boost with this rich and creamy black lentil marinara sauce! The lentils essentially go unnoticed in this black lentil recipe, making it perfect for turning a simple dish into a gourmet meal.

Black lentil marinara sauce served with spaghetti in a white bowl with a white marble background.

It's easy to get stuck in the monotony of making the same dish over and over. Busy weeknights can often leave you scrambling for dinner ideas, causing you to resort to whatever simple recipe you know that will get the job done, especially when kids are added to the mix!

Marinara sauce definitely falls into that category, as it can be as easy as dumping a jar into a pan to serve over a plate of cooked pasta or veggies. But don't you deserve more than the same old sauce, in terms of flavor as well as nutrients?

This quick and easy black lentil marinara sauce recipe is the solution! It offers the convenience of using store-bought marinara and canned black lentils combined with fresh garlic, shallots and a simple homemade vegan heavy cream (similar to this creamy vegan one-pot pasta recipe). The end result is a delicious weeknight meal that can be pulled together in just minutes!

Black lentil marinara sauce in a glass mason jar with a white background.

Why You'll Love this Black Lentil Marinara Sauce

Quick and easy recipe
Fresh and flavorful
Ultra creamy
Uses pantry ingredients
Kid-friendly
Nutritious

Ingredients

All you need for this sauce is these simple ingredients:

Black lentils: I drain and rinse canned lentils for sheer convenience, but you can certainly cook black beluga lentils from scratch if you prefer. Using canned black lentils significantly reduces the cooking time!
Marinara sauce: I LOVE using my own sauce (like this spicy arrabbiata or homemade San Marzano tomato sauce) when time allows but I often use sauce from a jar. This is the base of the recipe so make sure to use a sauce you love! My favorite is Rao's Homemade Marinara (not sponsored).
Vegan heavy cream: Make in 5 minutes by blending raw cashews, water and a little salt. That's it!
Shallots
Fresh garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Red pepper flakes

How to Make this Black Lentil Marinara Sauce

This black lentil recipe comes together in just minutes. I invite you to watch me make it!

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic. Heat a sauce pan or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, diced shallot, salt and red pepper chili flakes and sauté for about 5 minutes until the shallots are soft, fragrant and translucent. Turn the burner to low and add the minced garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to evenly cook and avoid burning.

Shallots and seasonings in a cast iron skillet with a white marble background.

Sautéed shallots in a cast iron skillet with a white marble background.

2. Add the black lentils. To the skillet, add the drained and rinsed black lentils from a can (or the prepared cooked lentils if you are using fresh). Stir well to combine and cook 5 minutes to warm the lentils and infuse them with flavor.

Black lentils overtop sautéed shallots and garlic in a cast iron skillet with a white marble background.

Cooked black lentils mixed with sautéed shallots and garlic in a cast iron skillet with a white marble background.

3. Stir in the marinara sauce and heavy cream. Cook until everything is warm. Taste and add more salt and red pepper flakes if desired.

Marinara sauce and vegan heavy cream added to a cast iron skillet of black lentils and sautéed garlic and shallots with a white marble background.

Black lentil marinara sauce in a cast iron skillet with a white marble background.

4. Garnish and serve. Garnish with finely diced fresh basil, more red pepper flakes or vegan parmesan cheese. Serve while hot over pasta.

Spaghetti in black lentil marinara sauce served in a white bowl with a white background.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Recipe Tips

Make the vegan heavy cream in advance (if possible). The cream thickens as it cools in the fridge, so having it ready to go ahead of time will result in a richer, creamier texture. Plus, it will save some time so you can pull the entire meal together in under 15 minutes!

Reduce the spiciness for kids. Two of my kids aren't into spicy foods just yet, so when I know I'll be serving this to them I'll reduce the red pepper flakes (or omit them completely).

Only use black lentils. I do not recommend swapping out the black lentils for brown lentils, red lentils or yellow lentils. Black lentils are tiny and hold their shape best, which prevents them from affecting the overall texture of the sauce. Other varieties of lentils will be more noticeable due to their size (brown lentils) or cook down into more of a mush (red and yellow lentils), which is great for some dishes but not this one!

A fork lifting a bite of spaghetti in black lentil marinara sauce out of a white bowl.

Serving Suggestions

This creamy sauce pairs perfectly with your choice of pasta (brown rice, chickpea, red lentil, etc.). I particularly enjoy it served in grain bowls or over quinoa with steamed broccoli.

The sauce is also delicious poured overtop spaghetti squash or a baked sweet potato. I routinely meal prep sweet potatoes so it's super convenient for a quick and nutritious weeknight dish!

Overhead shot of black lentil marinara sauce in a mason jar with a white marble background next to garlic, pasta, shallot, red pepper flakes and fresh basil.

Nutritional Benefits

This marinara sauce is no ordinary sauce! The black lentils, which are part of the legume family, add healthy plant-based protein in addition to fiber and iron. And when paired with tomatoes, which are high in vitamin C, the iron absorption is enhanced. This is especially beneficial for vegans like me as a way to boost iron intake.

Additionally, the cashew-based heavy cream provides more protein, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper.

More Easy Lentil Recipes

Spaghetti in black lentil marinara sauce served in two white bowls with a white marble background.

I love that this meal is simply flavored with shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes and fresh basil. It's also great for exposing kids to lentils as they essentially get buried in the sauce. Hope you enjoy it!