Carrot and red lentils for the pasta pot.

A sauce can be a useful place for an ordinary carrot. Red lentils soften into it, giving the pan more body without a separate cream mixture.

Build the sauce

For a trial, use one grated carrot, 50 g dry red lentils, one 400 g can of chopped tomatoes, one small chopped onion, one tablespoon of oil and water as needed. Prepare 120 g pasta separately according to its packet.

Soften the onion and carrot in the oil. Add the rinsed lentils, tomatoes and 200 ml water. Simmer gently, stirring and adding water so the lentils stay covered, until completely soft. Follow any lentil packet instructions.

Leave the sauce textured or mash it a little. Mix with the cooked pasta and taste before seasoning.

Check the pan as it cooks

Red lentils absorb liquid. A thick sauce can become a dry pan if you stop watching it.

Contains wheat if using ordinary wheat pasta. This is an original sauce concept, not the source cookbook’s tomato-and-berry formula or a tested substitute for it.

Development draft: not kitchen-tested. Quantities, texture and yield need checking.

Sources, evidence and limits

Evidence basis

Practical editorial opinion; no clinical effect is claimed or independently established.

Least certain: Taste, texture, yield and preparation time have not been tested.

Contrary evidence and limits: Ingredient facts do not establish this dish’s health effects or make it a complete meal for everyone.

What would change the conclusion: Kitchen testing, ingredient brands, allergies or individual dietary needs may require changes.

Claims not adopted: No inherited nutrient totals, medicinal benefits, source-author experiences or validated substitution claims.

Topic inspiration

This Goji-Tomato Marinara Is The Perfect Low-Sugar Pasta Sauce — Julie Morris, 2026-04-07.

The full public MBG article was read. Underlying research reading levels are specified above; not every full paper was accessible. This is a focused check, not a systematic review.

Independently written for Everyday, rather than a translation of the source or a reproduction of its recipe.