Pasta and Lentils (Pasta e Lenticchie) Recipe (2024)

Leaving the cooked pasta in the soup overnight is a great way to have slimy overcooked pasta with your leftovers. I prefer to cook the pasta separately, and add only as much as we are going to eat that day. The lentils (without pasta) keep really well for another day.

I love lentil pasta and I want pasta, not soup. Skip the canned tomatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste with the lentils to the sautéed onions and sauté for another 3 min. Then add about 10 to 12 cups of hot broth. Continue cooking the lentils until just about al dente. Add the pasta and cook per directions. I prefer linguini. The broth can be chicken or vegetable, Thyme and laurel are not optional. When done, strain the pasta and lentils. Add the Parmesan and oil.

You seem to have missed the reference to this being a true pantry meal; using a variety of leftover pastas from other recipes. Add a few ounces of leftover pasta to finish off a carton of broth, add a few chopped veggies and there's a quick meal. Surely you buy other things that are not used for one recipe only.

A delicious staple from my sicilian grandmother. Although, of course, I think grandma made it better. Begin with a standard soffritto of diced onion, carrot and celery- all the same size, sautéd in evo. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and ample garlic. A few tbs of tomato paste and your rinsed brown lentils. To this add your water and a small bit of leftover sauce that you made earlier in the week. Serve over ditalini w/ romano. Watch your family eat just like gma would. Escarole optional

A fav for us, using Bob's Red Mill browns, with modifications derived from 'fooling around' with this over time. *We add diced carrot & celery in with onion in step 1 & sometimes deglaze w/ madeira. *We don't add pasta with the tomatoes in step 2 but cook pasta separately to shy of al dente then add to finish in the lentils after step 2. For make ahead ease, we sometimes cook the lentil mixture in advance and freeze it. Easy to thaw and heat then add cooked pasta to finish later.

I used shells, it definitely took at least 20 mins for the pasta to be cooked (al dente). Added 1/4 cup of water twice after adding the pasta, once after 10 mins, and the second time after 15 mins.I used Parmesan because I didn’t have any pecorino, but next time I’d like to try the recipe with pecorino instead. Looks good and tasted great :)

Really enjoyed this, perhaps even more than pasta e fa*gioli, of which it is reminiscent. Had parmesan rinds, so threw them in. Also had some spinach to use up and put that in at the end. Broke up some lasagna noodles to make the 10 ounces needed and different shapes was fun. Might add some red pepper flakes next time.

my favorite…a one pot pantry staples meal! adaptable, hearty and vegetarian. do throw in a parmesan rind if you have one, add a diced carrot or two and serve over baby spinach.

Regarding the”slimy” effect of pasta cooked not separately— I see it as not slimy but a nice goopy comfort food. Good that you raise the issue as it is a consequential choice. For max goopy factor, rice noodle spirals are really silky.

Also, don't forget to rinse the lentils!

Lentils and pasta, a family favorite. My mom's hand-me-down recipe is right from the old country and uses no tomatoes in any form. It is simply olive oil, garlic, brown lentils and pasta all brought together with water and cooked until the lentils meld into a sauce and the pasta is just right. No salt until it is ready for the table.

If cooking for one person, 2 oz or 56 grams is the recommended portion. Dried pasta really doesn't go bad so having leftover pasta in a bag or box is mighty useful to have on hand.

Very nice! Chopped carrot (from a large carrot) makes a very nice addition - combines well w green lentils - added when onion/garlic about done. Pasta needs careful minding as it cooks. Took the full 20min over low heat to get to Al dente; stirred often and added 1/4c water whenever I detected stickiness at bottom of pot.

This recipe looks as though it could be easily converted to vegan and oil- and salt-free: sautée without the oil, skip the salt, and use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. I would probably cook the pasta separately (it’s quick and easy in the microwave) and add when the lentils are cooked.

Made this tonight with whole wheat fusilli and green lentils. I used crushed tomatoes, because, whatever. I also used romano, not parmigiano, and that was good too.We loved it.I had planned to add anchovies to the onions and garlic but forgot, so will do that next time.It took about an hour, start to finish, but on the plus side I used only one pot.

Followed the recipe and added some kielbasa. Was delicious.

In step 1, when you add the water, throw a parm rind or 2 in there. Makes a beautiful difference.

Wonderful comfort food for a winter's night. If you're not determined to make this a vegetarian dish, I find it is wonderfully enhanced by the addition of a link or two of sausage--sweet, hot, or both--and a handful or two of small, pitted, black olives.

Prepared as directed with penne. Turned out fine. The pasta made it creamy. My family asked if there was cream in it. This is a good, simple, everyday kind of recipe. Nice that the ingredients are cheap too.

This is delicious. I do encourage to read through the comments. I followed the recipe as a base; started with a soffrito base (in true pantry style I only had a parsnip instead of a carrot), 4-5 tablespoons of tomato paste that I added in after the lentils (still followed 1 cup/5 cups water). Season well with salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Add water, parmesan rind, bay leaves and fresh oregano. I use Rancho Gordo lentils, cooked pasta on the side, then add in. Highly recommend!

This rocks any way I cook it. I.e. inclusions like celery, carrot, ricotta, chorizo or nothing else.

This was delicious on a damp chilly night that I wanted to just use up what I had on hand and in the pantry. I added a little carrot and celery with the onion, used 2 big fat cloves of chopped garlic. I also added a strip of kombu to the lentils. I didn't want to be overwhelmed with pasta so I used about 4 ounces of whole wheat rotini. When I added my big can of diced tomatoes, I also threw in a frozen parmesean rind I had saved. Added a splash of white vermouth at the end and fresh parsley. Yum

Use petite diced tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes.I added a carrot and celery rib to the onion when cooking. Added garlic right before next step. Maybe add a pinch of crushed red pepper to vegetables.

Used canned lentils so only cooked for 10mins in 1 1/2 cans of water initially, also added carrot and some stock powder. It is nice but better with the cheese and some extra salt!

This turned out great! We made it on a night we didn't want to make yet another trip to the grocery store. My sweetie was skeptical but ultimately loved it. It did not turn out soupy. The only thing I would say is that it actually made about 10 servings.

Excellent! Great opportunity for whole grain pasta. Red pepper chili flakes are a good addition. Increase lentils if protein is what you’re after. Nutritional yeast is a tasty substitution for Parmesan and keeps it “pantry.” (stir in a tablespoon or two at a time, to taste) Throwing in greens such as kale or spinach at the last minute adds color if you’ve got ‘em.

I added fresh bella mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms--including the liquid in which I soaked them. The mushrooms gave it an earthy, creamy, and rich flavor. I doubled the recipe--and froze it. The defrosted version was equally as delicious--but a little more "mashed" due to defrosting. This is a repeater!

Excellent! I only had 2/3 cup of green lentils, so filled in with some yellow lentils from a previous dal and it was perfection. The leftovers weren't enough for a full meal, so I added a fried egg and some fresh spinach and called it lunch. Fantastic.

Came out very bland. Suggest adding something, maybe tomato paste?

Delicious, I used chicken broth for half the liquid and added cooked chopped bacon, (an Italian sourced recipe included pancetta). This recipe would also be good with Italian meatballs. Or good meatless as written with plenty of Parm cheese.