As a good Neapolitan, the recipe for pasta and lentils obviously in a light version could not be missing from my blog. I cooked this dish the Neapolitan way, as my mom did, that is by putting the pasta directly into the sauce. The result is a pasta that is embraced and not soupy; rather, it should be a little “sticky” as we say in Naples. And then you only end up with one pot to wash!
For the Weight Watchers diet, legumes are often considered proteins even though they have a high carbohydrate content. However, it’s important to note that a dish combining legumes with pasta or whole grains will provide noble proteins, meaning all essential amino acids, making legumes and pasta a perfect meal for everyone, especially for those following a vegan diet. Come and see the ingredients and procedure.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 3 or 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz pasta (preferably whole grain)
- 7.1 oz dried lentils (or 12.7 oz of cooked lentils)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp curry (optional, follow the link to make it at home)
- 2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- to taste chopped parsley
- to taste salt
- Total Points = 32 WW points
- Points per serving (divided into 3) = 11 WW points
- Points per serving (divided into 4) = 8 WW points
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Pot
- Wooden spoon
Steps
What I do to make pasta and lentils tastier is to prepare the lentils according to this recipe: Spiced Stewed Lentils with the ingredients I listed above. I first boil the lentils for about 30-40 minutes, add a bit of salt at the end of cooking, and drain them keeping the cooking water.
Use the same pot where you cooked the lentils and sauté chopped garlic, carrot, and celery with the teaspoon of oil. If you like, add Indian spices, curry, and cumin, I recommend them because they add a lot of flavor. Let it season for a few minutes and then add the tomato paste. Mix well and pour in the cooked lentils, just cover them with their cooking water you had set aside and bring to a boil.
As soon as it starts boiling, add the pasta, in my case short mafaldine, but I generally use whole wheat pasta: tubetti or cut spaghetti. Cover and let it simmer gently on low heat, stirring occasionally and adding the lentil cooking water little by little if needed. This, if you didn’t know, is called the risotto-style pasta cooking method.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, al dente in my case, turn off the heat, adjust the salt, and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Our light Neapolitan pasta and lentils is ready to be served at the table!
I like to add a bit of fresh parsley coarsely chopped directly on the plate while the Dutchman likes to add raw “olio santo” (very spicy, I prepare it myself). My son, on the other hand, would add more tomato sauce because he likes it very red.
In short, everyone has their own tastes but the base is a delicious embraced pasta and lentils. And I tell you, it tastes even better the next day: it’s even tastier! And how do you prepare this classic of Italian cuisine? Let me know in the comments.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can prepare pasta and lentils in advance and then reheat it, although the pasta will obviously be less al dente. It lasts for 3 days in the fridge and I recommend reheating it in the microwave. If you want to freeze it, I suggest using grains instead of pasta, like bulgur or spelt.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use pre-cooked lentils?
Certainly you can. For this recipe use 12.7 oz of drained canned lentils. If you use a different weight, you will need to recalculate the WW points. Since you won’t have the lentil cooking water, I recommend preparing some vegetable broth separately to use for cooking the pasta.
