Pepper Lentil Pasta

Date: Tue, 03 Aug 93 11:55:00 PDT
From: Jan Gordon <jagordon@AGSM.UCLA.EDU>

Pasta With Red Pepper and Lentil Sauce

From Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease
<I've made it several times, we like it.>

1/2 cup dried lentils
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups diced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced <I use considerably more, at least 4 or 5>
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons burgandy or other red wine
2 cups chopped sweet red bell peppers
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Asalt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 ounces uncooked pasta per person
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil for garnish

Rinse and sort lentils, boil the 4 cups water, add lentils and bay
leaves, simmer until lentils are tender but have not lost their shape.
Strain and remove the bay leaves.

Combine onions, garlic, and dried basil and braise them in the red wine.
Seed, core and choip the red peppers and add to the onions. Let them
stew with the onions until they are soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Then
transfer these veggies to a blender or food processor and puree til
smooth. Stir the lentils into the sauce, <do not puree the lentils>

Add vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to package directions, <no salt or oil> to al
dente. Drain and serve with save. Garnish with chopped basil.

Serving size - 1/2 cup sauce + 1 cup pasta
345 calories
0.9 grams total fat
0.1 grams sat fat
0 milligrams cholesterol