a classic that works

Homemade red lentil Bolognese pasta

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 25 minutes, around $4.43 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam.

25mintotal
≈ $4.43a serving
875kcalper serving
57gof protein
Freezes well
Homemade red lentil Bolognese pasta, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea

Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go
  1. Sauté the onions

    Peel and thinly slice the onions. In the skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, cook them 5 min until translucent.

  2. Add the garlic and meat

    Peel and press the garlic, then add it to the onions. Turn up the heat, add the ground beef and brown it 5 min, stirring to break it up well.

    Tip · If the meat sticks, turn down the heat and add a splash of water to scrape up the browned bits.
  3. Stir in the lentils and tomatoes

    Give the red lentils a quick rinse in cold water. Add them to the skillet with the peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well.

  4. Cook the sauce

    Let it simmer over low heat 10 min, stirring now and then. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little hot water.

  5. Cook the pasta

    While the sauce simmers, bring 1.5 L of salted water to a boil in the saucepan. Add the pasta and cook it 8 min over high heat, stirring.

  6. Drain and serve

    Drain the pasta in the colander. Divide it between the plates, spoon the Bolognese sauce over the top and toss lightly.

    Tip · For a deeper flavor, lightly mash the red lentils with the back of the spoon while the sauce cooks.
And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 875 kcal. 47% comes from carbs, 26% from protein and 23% from fat.

103 gCarbs
57 gProtein
23 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy875 kcal
Protein57 g
Carbs102.8 g
of which sugars10.5 g
Fat22.6 g
of which saturated fat4.9 g
Fiber14.9 g
Salt1.1 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $4.43 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $8.85for 2 people
≈ $4.43a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. And it freezes really well.

2 daysin the fridge
Very wellin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

Build my week

With the same ingredients

durum wheat pasta, 95% lean ground beef, dried red lentils…