I love to cook. I love to be outside. And so the best possible thing is when I can combine these activities by making some simple, yet delicious camping meals.

When figuring out the perfect camping meal, I always look towards savory and salty carb/protein-filled ingredients that can properly replenish my body after being outside all day.

While it’s easy to grab the backpacker’s meals from the local REI, I like to reserve these for backcountry adventures, and so I can test out some home-cooked (or should I say campsite-cooked?) recipes that are perfect for dinner while car or tent camping. In particular, one of our favorite meals at home is spaghetti, so we decided to adjust the recipe slightly to become the perfect apres-adventure meal while down camping in the desert.

The trick with camping meals is to prepare a little bit beforehand, which in this recipe, includes pre-cooking lentils and pre-shredding carrots. This helps you to have less things to do while actually cooking, as well as makes it so you have less dishes while out at your campsite.

In addition, this recipe is perfect for the plant-based and vegan campers, but also has approval from omnivore outdoorspeople (like Nic!). Substitute gluten-free noodles to make even more allergen and diet friendly!

We tried out this recipe on our latest trip down south, and it was spicier than we anticipated, but it was the best way to end an outdoor adventure day.

So grab some veggies and your cooler and head outside… let’s make some desert spaghet!

Description: Vegan Desert Spaghetti aka Desert Spaghet

Diet: Vegan

Ways to make low-waste: Buy fresh veggies, buy bulk noodles

Recipes makes: 3 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Put-Together-Time: 2 minutes

Total time: 47 minutes

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes

1/2 small onion

1 large carrot – shredded

2 medium crimini mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic

3 oz of tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup of spinach

1/2 cup split lentils – cooked

4 ounces of beer

Roasted pepper flakes to taste

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Nutritional yeast

Olive oil

6 oz of Angel hair pasta noodles

How-to:

Beforehand:

Cook lentils according to package, store in reusable container

Shred carrot, store in reusable container

At the campsite:

Dice tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms, mince garlic cloves

Add to large oiled pan on medium heat

Add seasonings and let simmer until vegetables are tender

Pour beer into pan of veggies, let liquid cook off

Scoop tomato paste into veggies, stir until combined

Meawnwhile, cook pasta according to instructions

Once noodles are completely cooked, add 1/2 cup of pasta water to sauce, let simmer and drain pasta

Add cooked lentils and chopped spinach to sauce

Put noodles in sauce and stir until noodles are coated

Serve warm and top with fresh basil leaves

Your part-time plant-eater and desert spaghet advocate,

AJ