Italian
Pasta and Lentils
by Manu Food · 60K subscribers on YouTube
A classic Italian comfort dish of short pasta and lentils, slowly simmered with pancetta, soffritto, tomato paste, and finished with a Parmigiano rind for depth. A quick and hearty meal.
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
10 items- PancettaOr guanciale
- Soffritto (Carota, Sedano, Cipolla)Finely chopped aromatic base
- Tomato PasteA small amount for color
- Lenticchie seccheWithout soaking
- Water (Or Broth)To cover the lentils
- SaltTo taste
- Short Pastae.g., ditalini
- Scorza di ParmigianoParmigiano rind, scrape outer part
- Black PepperTo taste
- Extra Virgin Olive OilDrizzle at the end
Method
- Finely chop the aromatic vegetables (carrot, celery, onion) using a food processor to avoid chunks.
- Cut pancetta (or guanciale) into small cubes.
- In a pot, gently sauté the pancetta without added oil until rendered.
- Add the chopped vegetables and sauté briefly.
- Add a small amount of tomato paste for color.
- Add dried lentils (without soaking).
- Cover with water or broth, season with salt, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes.
- Check the lentils for doneness.
- Add short pasta (e.g., ditalini) and a piece of Parmigiano rind (scrape the outer part with a knife).
- Cook the pasta, adding hot water if necessary, and adjust salt and pepper.
- Once pasta is al dente, finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
