Description
A cozy, satisfying weeknight dish that combines protein-rich lentils with simple pasta 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, or similar)
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 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
- Rinse lentils under cold water and pick out any debris.
- Place lentils in a pot with broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20–25 minutes until tender.
- In a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve some cooking water before draining.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté diced onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cumin, cooking for an additional 1–2 minutes.
- Add cooked lentils to the skillet with some reserved broth and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- Toss in the drained pasta and additional reserved pasta water if needed.
- Fold in halved cherry tomatoes and heat until everything is warm.
- Season to taste and serve immediately, drizzled with olive oil.
Notes
For added richness, consider topping with grated cheese or a squeeze of lemon before serving.
- 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, quick meal, healthy dinner