Lentil penne with beet sauce
- MEAL:
- Dinner
- BENEFITS:
- Gut health, Hair and skin health, Hormonal health, Water retention and cellulite
- DURATION:
- 20-30 min
When & How
For dinner – with a side of cooked bitter vegetables, such as endives and radicchio.
Ingredients
(1 serving)
70-90g lentil penne
1 medium beet
½ avocado, ripe
EVOO
Salt
Method
Cook pasta in salted water (but try to reduce the use of salt). Cut the beet into cubes and boil until soft. You can either keep or remove the skin. Combine beet cubes and avocado into a blender or food processor. Blend until obtaining a creamy sauce. Pasta should be ‘al dente.’ Toss with the sauce.
Tips
Other types of pasta can replace lentil pasta. You can opt for a different legume-based pasta or a grain-based pasta. Some of my favorites are quinoa pasta, black bean pasta, and buckwheat pasta.
Benefits
BEETS
Beets are rich in water and minerals, including iron, calcium, and potassium. This veggie helps with detoxification processes, and due to its richness in anthocyanins (the characteristic purple-red pigments), it helps strengthen weak capillaries having beneficial effects on blood circulation. Beets are also rich in betalain, which has potent antioxidant properties and protects the body from free radicals.
LENTIL PASTA
Legume pasta is an excellent alternative as it has a low glycemic index and is rich in fiber that helps balance out (together with avocado) sugars in the beet. Lentils are rich in iron and help with female hormonal health.
AVOCADO
A true and real anti-aging fruit due to its richness in monounsaturated fat (the good one), Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Glutathione, and lutein, all indispensable for skin health and glow. This fruit is also rich in potassium (more than a banana!), an essential mineral for bodily fluid balance and so it helps eliminate water retention.
