Pasta with Kale, Lentils, and Red Onion (Vegan)

Ingredients 0/13

Step 1

Bring the vegetable broth, lentils, salt, and bay leaf to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, and let the lentils simmer until they’re tender, which should take about 20 minutes. If the liquid starts to get low, just add a bit more broth to keep everything moist. When the lentils are done, fish out the bay leaf and set the lentils aside.

Step 2

While the lentils cook, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the red onion, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir it around for a minute to get the spices fragrant, then add your vegan sausage. Lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook slowly until the onion softens, about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and rotini pasta to the boiling water and cook until the pasta is just tender but still has a bit of bite—around 8 minutes. Before draining, scoop out a cup of the pasta water and set it aside.

Step 4

Drain the pasta and kale, then toss them back into the pot. Add the cooked lentils and the onion mixture, stirring everything together. If the dish feels a little dry, splash in some of that reserved pasta water until it reaches the perfect consistency. Finish by sprinkling nutritional yeast on top before serving.