Description
This cozy, unfussy pasta marries tender lentils with simple pantry flavors for a hearty yet light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 ¼ cup short pasta shapes (ditalini, elbows, orecchiette, mezzi rigatoni, etc.)
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 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
- In a medium pot, bring the 5 cups of broth to a boil. Add the rinsed lentils, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- While the lentils simmer, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of pasta water in case you want to loosen the sauce later.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional 30–60 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and ground cumin, allowing the mixture to cook for a minute. Add the cooked lentils and a splash of the reserved lentil cooking liquid or broth. Simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta and halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Toss gently to coat everything in the lentil-tomato mixture.
- Taste and season with fine salt and black pepper as needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Notes
For a more saucy dish, keep some reserved liquids to adjust texture as needed. To prevent lentils from becoming mushy, monitor cooking closely.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: pasta, lentils, vegetarian, Italian, hearty meal