Preparation

• Prepare the lentils following the procedure described in How to cook lentils | simple, digestible and versatile basic recipe or, if you already have them in the freezer, thaw a double portion.

  Alternatively, use pre-cooked packaged lentils.
  Remember to rinse them well under running water: canned legumes often contain additives, salt and sometimes sugar.
  Among packaging types, glass containers are preferable to tins as they are less prone to degradation.

  

• Wash the zucchinis thoroughly without removing their skin.
  Cut the zucchinis into chunks.
  Place them in a small pot.
  Add just enough water to cover them and bring to a boil.
  Let cook with a lid, preferably glass, over low heat for 5 minutes.

• In a saucepan, add:
  – the lentils;
  – the zucchinis with their cooking water;
  and bring to a boil.

  Add a vegetable bouillon cube [optional] and stir until dissolved.
  Adjust salt and grind the pepper.

  Roughly blend the lentils and zucchinis with an immersion blender.

• If you use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drain them well.
  Prepare the chopped mixture by cutting the sun-dried tomatoes / ‘nciappati’ into pieces with a knife or chopping them with a chopper or mixer to the desired texture: coarser or finer.

• In another pot cook the pasta and drain it.
  For brothy primi dishes, to avoid glycemic spikes, it is advisable to cook the pasta separately, then rinse it and add it to the prepared broth-based sauce; this way the starch released by the pasta into the cooking water is removed.
  Meanwhile, bring the lentils and zucchinis back to a boil.

  Add the pasta to the saucepan with the lentils and zucchinis and mix to combine and finish.
  With the heat off add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and mix.

  Plate.
  Grind a little more pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

  Your pasta and lentils with zucchini is ready.

  Enjoy your meal!