This Pasta with Lentils Recipe is the perfect example of Italian comfort food. Serve this hearty meal with crusty bread and a side salad.
Pasta with Lentils
Did you know that lentils pick up whatever flavors and seasonings they are cooked with?
That’s one of the reasons you will find this legume in all types of cuisines and dishes.
Two great recipes are lentil stew and this recipe for Italian lentil soup.
If you like the earthy taste of brown lentils, you are going to love this pasta and lentils recipe.
You are also going to love how easy it is to make.
Are you ready to begin?
Mise en place
As you can well imagine, there are a few vegetables to chop for this hearty meal. So, let’s begin with that.
More specifically, dice 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 3-4 stalks of celery (leaves included), and 1 medium potato.
You also need to mince the equivalence of 2 cloves of garlic.
Instructions
Now that our vegetables are all chopped up, let’s combine it all together.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic for 30 seconds or so; then add the onions, carrots, and celery. Allow the vegetables to soften -this should take about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Next, add 2 bay leaves, 1 cup of lentils (brown or green),1 cup of passata, the cubed potatoes and 5-6 cups of water (or low sodium vegetable broth).
Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are just about done. Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt and pepper.
Add the pasta (and if necessary more water) and cook, stirring often, until al dente (time will vary depending on the variety you use). We are using ditalini today.
Notice that as they cook, the sauce of this hearty pasta with lentils thickens. This is because the starch is being released.
Feel free to adjust the thickness of the broth by adding more water.
This is also the best time to adjust for seasonings. Remove the 2 bay leaves.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a dusting of grated cheese and chopped fresh Italian parsley. If you prefer, you can also give it a squirt of lemon juice.
You have just made one of the best lentil recipes ever!
Tips
- Low sodium or homemade vegetable broth can be used instead of water.
- Always rinse and sort your lentils to ensure there are no impurities.
- The addition of parsley stems is a wonderful flavor enhancer in this dish.
- The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid in this dish, do not be tempted to add more.
- If not serving immediately, cook the pasta apart. When ready to serve, combine with the rest of the cooked ingredients and heat gently.
What is a good substitute for ditalini?
Any small shaped or short pasta works well in this hearty soup. Some examples are tubetti, elbow or even small shells.
Can I use canned lentils instead of dry?
Yes, if you are in a hurry, using canned lentils will decrease the cooking time by 20 minutes or so.
What is passata?
Tomato passata is pureed, uncooked tomatoes with a very smooth and silky texture. It is perfect for stews, soups, casseroles and of course this lentil recipe. Passata is sold in glass bottles that can conveniently be stored in the pantry.
Easy pasta recipes we love
- Lemon Pasta
- Spaghetti Pasta Recipe
- Easy Tortellini Recipe
- Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette Recipe
- Quick Pasta Risotto
- Lentil Pasta Salad
- Penne all’ Arrabbiata
Looking for more? Be sure to visit my Pasta Category for more delicious recipes!
Recipe origins
It’s back to my Italian roots for this recipe.
During my youth, my paternal grandmother would always and forever be trying to teach us grandchildren some nugget of wisdom.
And her biggest lesson?
She would tell us a story (any kind of story!) always with the same moral: be grateful!
So, what does this have to do with this recipe?
Well, I can’t help but remember my lack of enthusiasm whenever my mom or grandmother made this thick “soup” (which was a meal).
I was not a great fan of this minestra di pasta e lenticchie…pasta and lentils.
I often wonder about food conspiracy …why is it that the foods we did not appreciate in our youth, we can’t seem to get enough of as adults?
Great-tasting, economical, healthy comfort food, Italian style in the form of such an easy recipe.
My grandmother was right: there is a lot to be grateful for.
Your health and taste buds will thank-you.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She loves biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made these lentils with pasta, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Pasta with Lentils Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup onion 1 medium, diced
- ½ cup carrot 1 carrot, diced
- 1½ cups celery stalks and leaves 3-4 stalks, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup lentils (brown or green) about 180 grams, rinsed and sorted
- 1 cup passata
- 1 cup potatoes 1 medium, peeled and diced
- 5-6 cups water or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup small soup pasta (ditalini, elbow, tubetti, etc) about 125 grams
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra olive oil for drizzling
- red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons parsley for topping
- 2 tablespoons grated cheese for topping
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and continue to saute for about 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the bay leaves, lentils, water, passata, and diced potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, cover slightly, lower heat and simmer for approximately 20-25 minutes or until lentils are almost cooked.
- Add the pasta (and if necessary more water) and cook, stirring often, until al dente (time will vary depending on the variety of pasta you use).
- Remove bay leaves.
- Adjust seasonings.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and cheese.OPTIONAL: a squirt of lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- Low sodium or homemade vegetable broth can be used instead of water.
- Always rinse and sort your lentils to ensure there are no impurities.
- The addition of parsley stems is a wonderful flavor enhancer in this dish.
- The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid in this dish, do not be tempted to add more pasta.
- If not serving immediately, cook the pasta apart. When ready to serve, add the pasta to the rest of the cooked ingredients and heat gently.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 24, 2015, and republished on January 17, 2018, and more recently on February 25, 2020, with updated content. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Elaine
Absolutely delicious. I used chopped turnip greens (canned) instead of celery, and fregola for the pasta, and a yellow tomato purée instead of passato. I immediately shared the recipe. Wonderful.
Maria
Thanks so much Elaine!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Isn’t it funny how our tastes change over the years. The things our mothers wanted us to eat and yet they weren’t our favorites. Now we cook them with love. This is a dish that I make but without the passata…I can’t wait to try your version.
Maria
The older I get the more I realize that sooner or later, everything comes full circle. Hope you like this version of pasta and lentils. Thanks so much for stopping by Karen ♥♥♥
Josette leclerc
Merci Maria pour cette merveilleuse recette. J’adore les soupes. Je l’ai conseillé à mon fils qui souhaitais cuisiner une soupe aujourd’hui.
Maria
Allo Josette 🙂 Fantastique! C’est une petite recette vraiment rapide et les restants sont pratiques. Merci de prendre le temps pour m’écrire ♥♥♥
Ciao Chow Linda
I make lentil soup and other lentil recipes, and I make plenty of pasta. But I’ve never combined them in one recipe. Yours looks so inviting, especially for a cold winter day.
Maria
Thanks Linda 🙂 Don’t know about the weather where you are at but we have had our share of cold and snow… hardy soups are extremely appreciated. Thanks for stopping by ♥♥♥
Ur pal val
We love lentils in our household. Thanks Maria for sharing!
Maria
My pleasure Val! Hope you get a chance to try this Easy Pasta and Lentils Recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment ♥
Cathy
Isn’t it great when our tastes evolve to appreciate more healthful food choices! I made a lentil soup for dinner last night. Yours looks lovely! Thank you for sharing.
Maria
Thanks Cathy! Lentil soup is another comfort food that is so good at this time of the year. Appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Markus Mueller | Earth, Food, and Fire
I Love lentils, unfortunately I always get stuck trying to think of new ways to use them outside of in soup haha! Thanks for this recipe idea, can’t wait to try it!
Maria
Fantastic Markus! Hope you like this very easy pasta and lentils recipe 🙂 Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Starr
I’m always on the look out for new lentil recipes. This one sounds delicious!
Maria
Thanks so much Starr… hope you enjoy it 🙂
Vanessa Christensen
What a great recipe! I love the detailed instructions and the photos! I cannot wait to give this a try over the weekend. It looks absolutely delicious.
Maria
Thanks Vanessa… a little bit of comfort food during these long winter months… Thanks so much for dropping by 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I absolutely love lentils and this looks like one healthy, tasty recipe I can totally eat in, like, 2 minutes flat 😉 I didn’t grow up eating them, but hubby and I now eat on the regular in our home. There’s so much you can do with them and they’re so inexpensive! Can’t wait to try this one out!
Maria
I absolutely agree with you Dawn! Hope you get a chance to try this pasta and lentils recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂