High-protein tomato sauce with beef meatball and elbow pasta

Prepare the ingredients. Prepare all the ingredients and lay them out on the work surface - we will cook them step by step 🍝🔥

Cut the onion. Cut the onion into small dice.

Shape the patty. Shape the ground beef into a patty; if it is too large, divide it into smaller ones so it cooks through faster.

Brown the meat. Heat a little oil in a saucepan over high heat and sear the meat briefly for about 2 minutes on each side to brown it.

Saute the onion. Remove the meat and add a piece of butter to the same saucepan; let the onion soften slowly over low heat until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

Prepare the sauce. Add the tomato paste and lentils and saute briefly over medium heat for about 1 minute, then add water and bring to a boil.

Cook the pasta. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot and cook the pasta according to the package instructions over medium heat for about 7-9 minutes until al dente.

Finish cooking the meat. Return the patty to the sauce and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the meat is cooked through.

Blend the sauce. Remove the patty and blend the sauce until smooth; if it is too thick, add a little water, if it is too thin, reduce it briefly by simmering.

Serve. Serve with the cooked elbow macaroni 🍽️✨