small price, big dish

Whole wheat pasta with red lentils and zucchini

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 30 minutes, around $1.28 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

30mintotal
≈ $1.28a serving
878kcalper serving
25gof protein
VegetarianIn season in OctoberFreezes well
Whole wheat pasta with red lentils and zucchini, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea
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Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go
  1. Prep the veggies

    Peel and slice the onion, crush the garlic, then cut the 300 g of zucchini into small dice.

  2. Start the pasta water

    Fill the saucepan with water, add the pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat while you keep going.

  3. Sauté the onion and garlic

    Heat 2 cl of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat, then cook the onion 3 minutes before adding the garlic and curry powder for 1 minute.

  4. Simmer the red lentils

    Add the 100 g of red lentils and 30 cl of water to the skillet, cover and let it simmer over low heat. Stir now and then.

  5. Cook the pasta

    Once the lentils are simmering, drop the 140 g of whole wheat pasta into the boiling water and cook for the time on the package, about 10 min, then drain it, saving a small glass of pasta water.

    Tip · Start the pasta once the lentils have already simmered about 3 minutes, so everything is ready at the same time and the pasta doesn't sit and stick.
  6. Add the zucchini

    While the pasta cooks, add the zucchini to the skillet with some pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes until it's tender.

  7. Put it all together

    Tip all the drained pasta into the skillet with 2 cl of olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss over low heat 1 minute, adding a little pasta water if it's too dry.

    Tip · Add the pasta water a spoonful at a time: the lentils thicken fast and make a silky sauce.
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 878 kcal. 35% comes from carbs, 11% from protein and 50% from fat.

77 gCarbs
25 gProtein
49 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy878 kcal
Protein25 g
Carbs76.5 g
of which sugars7 g
Fat48.8 g
of which saturated fat7.6 g
Fiber15.2 g
Salt0.3 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 $1.28 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $2.55for 2 people
≈ $1.28a 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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