Fantastic Vegetarian Chili and Puttanesca

I bought Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook after reading a review. She dedicates this book to her late father in memory of the many fun times they spent cooking together. Her recipes are all healthy—many of them vegetarian, but not every one. (Just no red meat.) I’ve made a number of recipes from it, all of them good.

This week, I tried her Vegetarian Chili. So good. So good for you. The flavor is so rich and satisfying, you’d never believe it’s made with only veggies and beans.  It ranks up there with my Guy Fierri recipe for Turkey Chili. I'll send you that one if you like.

I also particularly love her Penne Puttanesca.  I’m posting both recipes here for you. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

“My kids like this chili with rice,and we grown-ups top it off with a tablespoon of creme fraiche (or yogurt), some chopped scallions and cilantro, and a dash of hot sauce.” — Gwyneth Paltrow


2 tablespoons extra virgin

olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 large red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3/4 teaspoon mild chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo *

1 – 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed and drained

1 – 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Big pinch coarse salt

3 tablespoons tomato paste*


Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the chipotle and stir to combine.


Turn the heat up to high, add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them a bit with your wooden spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.


Add the lentils and beans. Fill one 14-ounce can with water and add it to the pot, along with the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.


Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the flavors are melded.


Serves 4 

Active preparation time: 1/2 hour


Total preparation time: 2 hours

My tip for chitpotle in adobo... you will never use a whole can without blowing the back of your head off. I buy a small can, then separate individual chilis...or half chiles depending on the size...and freeze them in individual snack-size zip-lock bags. Do the same with small portions of tomato paste—1–3 tablespoons per bag.

Penne Puttanesca

3/4 pound (3/4 box) penne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Pinch red chile flakes

5 olive-oil packed Spanish anchovies

1 heaping tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed

1/3 cup pitted niçoise olives

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce  (I use Rao's Tomato Basil—THE BEST you can buy in a jar)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

A few tablespoons pasta water, to thin

1/4 cup torn fresh parsley, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Drop in the penne. Cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and chile flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, adjusting the heat if necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the anchovies and stir for another minute, or until they begin to break down. Add the capers and olives, crushing them gently with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook for 1 minute, or until quite fragrant—it should smell divine. Stir in the tomato sauce and black pepper. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and let it bubble for about 10 minutes, or until quite thickened. The penne should be perfectly cooked at this point. Drain pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir to coat, adding a bit of the pasta cooking water if necessary to get the sauce to the right consistency. It shouldn't be too thick, but also not too soupy. Scatter the parsley over the pasta, add a bit more fresh black pepper, and serve.

Make it vegan: Leave out the anchovies.  (I advise to leave them in.)

Serves 4. Active & total preparation time: 15 minutes

You can make the sauce ahead of time.