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Pasta with Lentils – Easy, Healthy & Nourishing One-Pot Italian Recipe

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This Italian pasta with lentils is one of the best nourishing meals you can cook using a few cupboard essentials such as dried lentils and pasta. It’s an easy yet delicious 1-pot recipe, healthy, vegan and amazingly good.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¼ cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 ¼ cup short pasta shapes (ditalini, elbows, orecchiette, mezzi rigatoni…)
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth, plus more if needed
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves (see notes)*
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small-sized onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • fine salt, to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute’ for 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves and stir for a minute. If you use canned tomatoes or only tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes, add them along with the ingredients listed below.
  3. Add lentils, cumin, tomato paste, broth, and pepper.
  4. Increase heat and bring to simmer. Place lid on and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until lentils are soft.
  5. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your liking.
  6. Add pasta, cook gently over medium heat until al dente. Stir frequently.
  7. If the stew seems too thick, gradually add a touch of water or broth and thin to desired consistency. The longer it sits on the stove, the thicker it will get. Taste and adjust the seasoning again before serving.
  8. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it vegan. Garnish with chili flakes and chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

LENTILS: Brown or green lentils are my favorite for this recipe. RINSE THE LENTILS: Place the lentils in a colander and pick out any debris or small stones, then rinse well under running water. TOMATOES: Fresh, canned or tomato paste make the stew richer and tastier. You can substitute fresh tomatoes with ⅓ cup of canned diced tomatoes or an extra Tbsp of tomato paste. If you use only tomato paste, a total of 2 Tbsps is enough. BROTH: The amount of broth is added gradually to the pasta, which absorbs it completely and retains its starch. Stir often until the liquid is absorbed to prevent sticking. SALT: If you use broth rather than water, adjust the seasoning when the lentils are done and you’re about to add pasta, as you never really know how salty the broth is. Nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://us.cookingtastes.com/pasta-with-lentils-easy-healthy-nourishing-one-pot-italian-recipe/