Pasta With Lentils and Mushrooms

Why boil pasta then toss it with sauce when you could cook it directly in the sauce? This is the question we’ve been asking ourselves ever since Basically editor Sarah Jampel’s genius vegetarian pasta dish entered our lives. Lentils, browned mushrooms, tomato paste, and other friends get a head start before pasta joins the party; as the noodles cook, they absorb the tomato-rich broth while releasing the starches that eventually form a creamy sauce. Depending on the power of your burner, you might find that your liquid is evaporating before your noodles are al dente. If this happens, just add very hot water to the pot, about ½ cup at a time, until the pasta is cooked. If you're craving acid, you can deglaze the vegetables with red wine or add a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.