Easy One-Pot Pasta and Lentils (Pasta e Lenticchie)
This Pasta and Lentil dish is perfect for cold days. Warming, and moreish, it's definitely a comfort dish. I am making it vegan/vegetarian for my husband, and I am using black lentils because I enjoy the added health benefits.
However, Pancetta is a traditional ingredient and imparts a lot of flavor, so feel free to add it or use another cured bacon, if you like! Green or brown lentils are also the traditional lentil type, as is the ditalini pasta shape.
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Ingredients
Potato Leek Celery Root Soup
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 80 g Onion chopped
- 80 g Carrots chopped
- 60 g Celery chopped
- 2 clove Garlic minced
- 1 Sprig Rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 Spring Thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 100 g Tomato Puree or chopped tomatoes, or 2 TBS tomato paste
- 200 g Lentils Green, Brown or Black
- 1 l Vegetable Broth approx 4.5 cups
- 300 g Short Pasta Ditalini preferred, but other short pasta OK
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parsley Chopped, to garnish
Optional
- 80 g Smoked Pancetta chopped, or other bacon alternative (including turkey, beef or plant-based)
- 1/2 tsp Chili flakes
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano to be grated
- 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast instead of Parmigiano Reggiano - will not make it more creamy, but will add an umami flavor
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and add chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant. If using tomato paste, add it now as well.
- If using pancetta or other bacon, add it now and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add lentils, tomato puree and chili flakes (if using) and herbs. pour enough broth to cover the lentils by about an inch.
- Cook lentils for about 30-40 minutes, until lentils are al dente (soft but with a little bite).
- Remove herbs. Add the pasta and add more broth to cover the pasta. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- If you want it to be more soupy, add more broth.
- Finish with salt and pepper to taste. If using Parmigiano Reggiano, grate it into the pot now. Serve with parsley, if desired.
- If you need more liquid after adding the Parmigiano Reggiano, add a little broth. You can also use nutritional yeast instead for the umami flavor (will not make it more creamy).