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small price, big dish

Whole wheat pasta with veggie Bolognese

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 30 minutes, around $1.74 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

30mintotal
≈ $1.74a serving
677kcalper serving
29gof protein
VegetarianIn season in OctoberFreezes well
Let's cook

Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Heat the water

    Fill the large saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt.

  2. Prep the veggies

    Peel the carrot and the onion. Wash the celery and dice it small. Chop the onion finely.

  3. Cook the pasta

    Drop the whole wheat pasta into the boiling water and cook it for the time on the package (about 10-12 min). Drain without rinsing.

    Tip · To keep the pasta from sticking, give it a stir right after it goes in.

  4. Cook the veggies

    Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it for 2 min without letting it brown. Add the diced carrot and celery and cook for 5 min, stirring.

  5. Add the lentils

    Add the drained red lentils and the crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Mix well. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper.

    Tip · If the sauce is too runny, let it reduce over low heat, stirring more often.

  6. Let it simmer

    Let it simmer over low heat for 10 min, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens a little.

  7. Toss with the pasta

    Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Mix well to coat the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

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 677 kcal. 63% comes from carbs, 17% from protein and 15% from fat.

106 gCarbs
29 gProtein
11 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy677 kcal
Protein29 g
Carbs105.9 g
of which sugars14.7 g
Fat11 g
of which saturated fat1.7 g
Fiber20.7 g
Salt1.6 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 $1.74 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $3.49for 2 people
≈ $1.74a 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?

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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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