Pasta e lenticchie

17/11/2023

Pasta and lentils is a rustic and tasty dish typical of Italian cuisine, rich in tradition and simple to make. It’s perfect for colder days when you need a comforting and nutritious meal. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

200 g of dry lentils (preferably soaked for a few hours)
200 g of short pasta (ditalini, tubettini or mezze maniche)
1 carrot
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
1 clove of garlic
400 ml of passata di pomodoro (tomato purée)
Vegetable broth or water as needed
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Rosemary (optional)
Chili pepper (optional)

Preparation

Start by preparing a light soffritto. Finely chop the carrot, celery, and onion and sauté everything in a pot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic for about 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the lentils (previously rinsed and drained if you soaked them) and toast together with the soffritto for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the tomato purée and mix well to blend the ingredients.
Cover the lentils with vegetable broth or water until exceeded by a few centimeters, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender.
Add the pasta to the pot along with a little water if necessary, adjust with salt and pepper, and cook for the time indicated on the pasta package.
During cooking, stir occasionally and check the consistency of the lentils and pasta, adding more broth or water if the dish becomes too dry.
At the end of cooking, if you wish, add a sprig of rosemary or a sprinkle of chili pepper to give an extra touch of flavor.

Serve the pasta and lentils hot, perhaps with a drizzle of raw oil and some crunchy bread on the side.

Curiosity

This dish has peasant origins and represents an example of traditional Italian “cucina povera” (poor kitchen). In the past, lentils were considered the meat of the poor due to their high protein content. Today they are valued for their nutritional benefits and versatility in the kitchen.