Red Lentil Spaghetti with Aglio e Olio, Turkey, & Mushrooms
Can't decide what's for dinner, but you're hungry NOW? Try this quick red lentil spaghetti recipe with a garlic and olive oil sauce, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and turkey or chicken. Fast & easy! You can even skip the poultry or substitute cooked chickpeas and make a vegetarian/vegan version!
Ingredients
- 16 oz dry red lentil spaghetti (can substitute penne, or pasta of your choice)
Pan Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup thinly sliced onion (about one medium onion)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced or minced (or to taste)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ¾ tsp dried)
- ½ tsp dried oregano, marjoram, or Italian herb blend (sub fresh herbs if available)
- ½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp thinly sliced green onion or chives (optional)
- 1 cup canned or fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 pint canned turkey or chicken chunks with broth (substitute 1 ½ cup diced cooked turkey or chicken and ½ cup stock, or canned chickpeas)
- ⅓ cup reserved pasta water (start with ¼ cup, adding more if needed)
Garnish
- 2 tbsp baby arugula, fresh parsley, or chives (optional) (optional)
- 1 tbsp brined capers (optional)
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- tt salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
prep your ingredients
- Fill your pasta pot with several quarts of water and salt it to taste (at least a tablespoon of kosher salt). Cover the pot and begin bringing it to a boil on medium high heat.
- Prep your ingredients - get out everything you will need- olive oil, fresh or dried herbs, and other ingredients.
- Peel and slice your onion and garlic cloves, and brush & slice or quarter your fresh mushrooms if you aren't using canned.
sweat onions, garlic, & mushrooms
- Heat your saute pan or 10-12" cast iron skillet on medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, sliced onion, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to the pan.
- Stir and saute the onions until they are translucent and begin to take on a bit of color around the edges. If they are beginning to burn or stick reduce the heat, and add a splash of stock or even water. (If you are using raw turkey or chicken, add it to the pan now. Add cooked or canned chicken or turkey at the end so it doesn't fall apart).
- Add the garlic (and optional red pepper flakes and/or green onions) and continue to sweat.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan. If you are using fresh mushrooms, cook until they soften and release their liquid. If you are using canned mushrooms, drain them first but reserve the liquid and add it back if the sauce looks dry.
cook pasta
- While the mushrooms are cooking, drop the pasta in the boiling water, and set a timer once it is submerged and the water has returned to a boil.
- Cook for the recommended amount of time (times vary by manufacturer and shape). Begin testing the pasta at the minimum amount of time. Add additional time if necessary to cook the pasta through. You want it al dente, but not still hard or chalky in the middle.
add turkey/chicken or beans
- While the pasta is cooking, add the canned diced turkey or chicken or cooked diced turkey/chicken to the sauce pan. If you are using home canned meat, add the gelatin-rich broth. For commercially canned meat, you may want to drain and reserve the thinner liquid and add only enough to bring the sauce together.
- If you are using cooked leftover turkey or chicken, you can use pasta water or stock to add moisture if the sauce needs it (if it is sticking, or needs additional moisture to coat the pasta after it cooks).
- Stir gently to fold in the ingredients so that you don't shred the chunks of meat.
assemble the finished dish
- Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water if needed to bring the sauce together (set aside).
- Return the pasta to the pot and add the sauce. I like to reserve a portion of the sauce mixture to add on top when plating the sauce, but you can mix it all together if you prefer.
- Toss and fold the pasta and sauce together with tongs or a pasta rake until the pasta is well coated and the bits of onion, mushroom, and meat (or beans) are evenly mixed. If the pasta seems dry, add a splash of the hot pasta water and mix again.
- Divide between your serving plates or deep wide bowls and serve immediately. Garnish if you like with some fresh baby greens or herbs, capers, red pepper flakes, or just a grating of fresh black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt.
- This is best served immediately while hot, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to four days.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
