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a classic that works

Whole wheat pasta with red lentils and bacon

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 40 minutes, around $2.38 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

40mintotal
≈ $2.38a serving
909kcalper serving
41gof protein
In season in OctoberFreezes well
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Whole wheat pasta with red lentils and bacon, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea
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Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Bring the water to a boil

    Fill the saucepan three quarters full (about 2 l of water), salt it generously and bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. Chop the onion and garlic

    Peel the onion and slice it thin. Peel the 2 garlic cloves and chop them.

  3. Cook the whole wheat pasta

    Pour the 140 g of pasta into the boiling water and let it cook at a lively simmer, stirring now and then.

  4. Add the red lentils

    Pour the 100 g of red lentils into the same water as the pasta and keep cooking at a gentle boil. By the end, the pasta will have cooked 12 min total and the lentils will be tender.

    Tip · Red lentils break down fast. Stick to the 7 minutes and don't add them any earlier, or they turn to mush.

  5. Brown the bacon

    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the 200 g of diced bacon, no other fat needed.

  6. Add the onion and garlic

    Add the onion to the skillet with the bacon and let it soften over medium heat, stirring. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes.

  7. Drain the pasta and lentils

    Save a small glass of pasta water, then drain the pasta and lentils in the colander.

  8. Toss and serve

    Put the pasta and lentils back in the saucepan, add the bacon, onion, garlic and the 10 cl of cream. Toss over low heat with a little pasta water to coat, add pepper and taste before adding more salt.

    Tip · If the sauce is too thick, add the pasta water one spoonful at a time. Since the bacon is already salty, taste before adding more salt.
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 909 kcal. 33% comes from carbs, 18% from protein and 46% from fat.

75 gCarbs
41 gProtein
46 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy909 kcal
Protein40.8 g
Carbs74.9 g
of which sugars5.4 g
Fat46.3 g
of which saturated fat19.2 g
Fiber14.2 g
Salt2.8 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 $2.38 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $4.75for 2 people
≈ $2.38a 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. After that, into the freezer it goes.

2 daysin the fridge
Yesin 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.

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With the same ingredients

whole wheat pasta, red lentils, diced smoked bacon…