Linguine with Artichokes and Red Lentil Sauce

This is a great recipe for a main course.  It can be made as-is for a vegetarian dish or you could add some grilled chicken or shrimp.  For this round I chose to serve it with lima beans for protein.  They have such fantastic flavor and texture (and Neil and I both love them).  The lentils are a wonderful pairing with the fresh lemon juice, and the artichoke hearts add an element of buttery sweetness.  This is a perfect fit for a healthy meal with tons of flavor.

Ingredients
1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup dried red lentils
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 pound whole wheat linguine
¼ pound fresh green beans, cut to one-inch lengths
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
Handful of frozen peas
Directions

  • In a medium pot add broth, 1 cup water, onion, lentils, garlic, mushrooms and green beans and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are very tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir until lentils break apart to make a sauce.   Add peas.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, drain and return to pot.
  • Immediately add artichoke hearts and lentil sauce to hot pasta, toss well and serve.

The left-overs from this dish are spectacular too!
J

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