(Beetroot) spaghetti with cumin-spiced tomato split pea sauce

It is with some regret that I skip over Vegan MoFo this year. Unfortunately, September is a busy enough month for me without adding in extra blogging. I will focus on trying to keep up with others' posts instead, and hope to join in again next year.

Whilst I am skipping Vegan Mofo, I am pleased to have an opportunity to participate in 'pasta please'. Johanna has just announced that she is hosting pasta please for September, with a focus on long pasta. This times rather brilliantly with today's post.

This noodle dish makes use of another pack of beetroot pasta, as previously featured with a spinach and white bean sauce. Instead of green, this dish packs an assortment of colours. It also packs an assortment of flavours!

Some of the inspiration for the sauce came from the cumin-infused vegetables and chickpeas recently featured on Fat Free Vegan. The rest came from the vegetables I had on hand, and a certain amount of making it up as I went along. Fortunately, the result was not only edible but enjoyable.

I will confess to liking this more as leftovers than on the day I made it, but that may be because I was having an onion issue on the night in question. I have learnt that if I take my contact lenses out before I chop onions, I am far more sensitive to onion tears than if I do not. By 'far more sensitive', I mean 'sobbing in the kitchen and teary for at least an hour post onion chopping'. I should really extend that learning to never taking my contacts out before cooking. As it is, sometimes I do, and on this evening my enjoyment of the meal was tempered by still stinging eyes.

Onion issues aside, this is a spaghetti dish that is nutrition filled and flavour packed. If you happen to have pink noodles on hand, I think it is also rather pretty!

Spaghetti with cumin-spiced tomato split pea sauce

Inspired by cumin-infused vegetables and chickpeas on Fat Free Vegan.

Serves 3

Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked yellow split peas

Drizzle olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove purple garlic (or any garlic), crushed

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tin tomatoes

200g spaghetti (I used beetroot flavoured but any would work)

Method

Soak the split peas for at least an hour, then rinse and cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.

When the split peas are nearly cooked, saute the onion and garlic in a non-stick pan with the olive oil, until golden. Add the zucchini, pepper, carrot and herbs and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, add the tomatoes and cooked split peas, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook your pasta according to packet directions and then serve topped with the sauce. 

I am sending this to Johanna's pasta please round up for September, which she is hosting for Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes.

Have you ever put cumin in a pasta sauce? I'm pretty sure this is the first time I have, but I rather liked it.

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