Italian Lentils Pasta

Ingredients

• Ditalini Rigati Pasta

• Lentils

• 1 Carrot chopped

• 1 Celery stick chopped

• ½ Onion

• 2 Garlic cloves crushed

• Rosemary fresh

• 1 L Vegetable stock 4.2 cups

• Pecorino Cheese As much as preferred

• 5 tbsp Tomato Passata

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• Salt and pepper

• Guanciale or pancetta optional

Directions

1. Put your large pot on the stove at medium heat and add 5 tablespoons of EVOO.

2. Add chopped carrots, celery, and onions and cook for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally along with a small amount of vegetable stock to prevent veggies from burning.

3. Mix through the crushed garlic cloves, followed by more vegetable stock and a few sprigs of rosemary sprigs, then stir to combine.

4. Once the veggies become tender, add guanciale and let it cook until it starts to brown.

5. Add lentils; tossing them before adding stock so they absorb all the liquid.

6. Pour in half of the vegetable stock and give everything a good stir, then add 5 tablespoons of tomato passata and mix it through.

7. Cook on medium-high heat and keep an eye on lentils to make sure they don’t dry up by adding water or stock as required.

8. Next, mix through the remaining vegetable stock, cover the pot, and let the lentils cook for 10 minutes.

9. Once the lentils turn soft with a slight crunch, remove the rosemary.

10. Add the pasta and stir well before adding the water, then let the pasta cook until al dente.

11. Taste it to check the texture, then add water so it is covered before a sprinkle of salte and pepper.

12. Cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook for about 5 minutes then stir well so nothing sticks to the bottom.

13. Add more water as the pasta absorbs liquid quickly then get the pot off the stove, let the pasta rest for about a minute, and stir to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.

14. Toss the pasta a little bit and add some pecorino cheese on top before another sprinkle of cheese and mix it one final time.

15. Serve this creamy lentil pasta on a large serving plate with a generous sprinkling of more pecorino cheese!