Vegetarian Mushroom Tomato Sauce over Crisp Zucchini Noodles

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils and place them in a medium saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 15–20 minutes.
2. While the lentils cook, finely dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in a little oil to coat the bottom.
4. Add the onion and garlic; cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Rinse and slice the mushrooms. Add them to the skillet with a bit more oil and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until most liquid evaporates, 5–10 minutes.
6. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and thyme. Simmer at medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes to blend the flavors.
7. Strip basil leaves from stems, roll them up, and slice into thin ribbons.
8. Fold the cooked lentils and basil into the sauce and simmer briefly to heat through.
9. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and create noodles with a julienne peeler or regular peeler. Squeeze excess moisture from the noodles with a clean towel.
10. Grate Parmesan finely.
11. To serve, divide the zucchini noodles onto plates and ladle the hot sauce over them. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.