Crispy Black Bean, Lentil & Aubergine Harissa Pasta

Serves: 4

Time: 30 minutes 

This is the perfect pasta dish when you’re craving some pasta with lots of protein, flavour, and texture! The crunchy black beans (you can sub these for any beans, chickpeas work great too) and crispy kale add lots of crisp, and the smoky spicy flavours from the sauce give the perfect kick. This is a great meal to enjoy on a summer’s day, with lots of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion (chopped) 

• 1 bell pepper (chopped small) 

• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)  

• 1 chilli pepper (chopped) 

• 1 aubergine (chopped into small pieces) 

• 2 large handfuls of kale 

• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes (sliced in half) 

• 1 400g can of black beans 

• 1 400g can of lentils 

• 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes 

• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste 

• 1 tablespoon of harissa paste 

• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup 

• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika 

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin 

• 1 vegetable stock cube (dissolved in 300ml of boiling water) 

• 4 portions of pasta 

• Juice of ½ a lemon 

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil 

• Salt & pepper 

• Handful of chopped fresh basil 

Cooking Steps: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C.  

2. On a lined baking tray, add your chopped aubergine and peppers with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and roast in the oven for 20- 30 minutes, or until aubergine has softened.  

3. Meanwhile, heat a pan over a medium heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add your onion, garlic, chilli, paprika, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, and harissa, and keep stirring until fragrant and the onions have softened.  

4. Next, add the tinned tomatoes and lentils. Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer.

5. Meanwhile, rinse and dry your black beans and place on a lined baking tray with some olive oil, cumin, salt. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until crispy and crunchy. Add the kale for the remaining 5 minutes, watching that it doesn’t burn. 

6. While this is all cooking, cook your pasta according to the package instructions.  

7. In the final stages, add your cooked aubergine and peppers to the sauce. Then stir some maple syrup and lemon juice into the sauce. Also add some chopped basil and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Mix through your cooked pasta into the sauce, and top with the crispy black beans and kale and more fresh basil. Enjoy!