Quinoa With Pasta Sauce and Cheese

By
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer Jennifer Meier specializes in creating healthy and diet-specific recipes.
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Updated on 04/16/22
Quinoa Tomato Sauce

Jennifer Meier

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
360 Calories
13g Fat
45g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 360
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 16%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 1323mg 58%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 17%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 288mg 22%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 918mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Quinoa with pasta sauce is a quick-and-easy meal that feels like a healthier alternative to a big bowl of pasta and sauce.

When you need to quickly get food on the table for your family, it's a go-to dinner choice. It's also great warmed up for lunch the next day.

This straightforward recipe can be embellished in a variety of ways. Make your pot of quinoa and sauce and, in a separate skillet, sauté vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. When you want meat, add cooked and drained Italian sausage or ground beef or turkey.

A big handful of chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano or parsley) also adds tons of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white quinoa, uncooked

  • 2 cups water

  • 2 to 3 cups pasta sauce, or more, to taste

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan, or other hard cheese, more to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Rinse the quinoa if the packaging does not indicate that it's pre-rinsed. Rinsing quinoa removes naturally occurring plant chemicals that are harmless but can cause a bitter flavor in quinoa. Use a fine-mesh strainer so you don't lose any tiny quinoa seeds down the drain.

  2. In a deep pot, bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Lower the heat, so the water is at a simmer and cover the pot.

  3. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes. If water remains in the pot, drain it off (again, use a fine-mesh strainer).

  4. In the same pot, add the pasta sauce. Stir well. Add more sauce to taste, if needed. Simmer another 1 or 2 minutes with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is heated.

  5. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes (with the lid on the pot).

  6. To each bowl of quinoa and pasta sauce, add a generous amount of grated cheese.

  7. To add even more flavor to the dish, consider topping the quinoa and tomato sauce with sautéed vegetables, cooked and drained Italian sausage, ground beef or ground turkey, and fresh herbs.