Pasta with Lentils Recipe

A bowl of pasta and lentils garnished with grated cheese and parsley.

This Pasta with Lentils Recipe is the perfect example of Italian comfort food. Serve this hearty meal with crusty bread and a side salad.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings servings

Calories 445kcal

Author Maria Vannelli RD

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.

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 lentils and pasta recipe. Passata is sold in glass bottles that can conveniently be stored in the pantry.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.

Nutrition