Ingredients
1/2 pound mezzi tubettini or dittalini pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
6 cups good quality or home made chicken stock - you can sub. beef, veal or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped - or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 cup dried, brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
good quality, extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
Preparation
In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften. Next, add the garlic and sauté with the onion until both are soft and transparent. Stir in the chicken broth, parsley, bay leaf and the lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Stir a bit of the hot broth into the tomato paste until it’s very smooth and liquid. Set aside. When the lentils are cooked, stir the cooked pasta and tomato paste mixture into the lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the lentils and pasta back to a simmer and cook uncovered, about 5 minutes or so, to blend the flavors. Remove the bay leaf. To serve, ladle into warmed soup bowls and drizzle each serving with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Pass with freshly grated Italian cheese and crusty Italian bread.
