As a true Neapolitan, I couldn’t miss from my blog the recipe for pasta and lentils, of course in a light version. I cooked this dish the Neapolitan way, like my mother did, by adding the pasta directly into the sauce. The result is a clinging pasta rather than a brothy one — it should be a bit “azzeccosa” as we say in Naples. And you end up with only one pot to wash!
For the Weight Watchers diet, legumes are often considered proteins even though they contain a lot of carbohydrates. However, keep in mind that a dish that pairs legumes with whole-grain pasta or cereals will provide complete proteins — that is, all the essential amino acids — so legumes plus pasta is a perfect meal for everyone, especially those following a vegan diet. Check the ingredients and method below.
Other recipes you may like:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 3 or 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5 oz pasta (preferably whole wheat)
- 7 oz dry lentils (or 13 oz (about 1 3/4 cups) 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 following this recipe: Spiced stewed lentils with the ingredients I listed above. First I simmer the lentils for about 30–40 minutes, add a little salt at the end of cooking, and drain them while keeping the cooking water.
Use the same pot in which you cooked the lentils and sauté the garlic, carrot and celery cut into small pieces with the teaspoon of oil. If you like, add the Indian spices, curry and cumin — I recommend them because they add a lot of extra flavor.
Let them release their aroma for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste. Mix well and add the cooked lentils, just cover them with the reserved lentil cooking water and bring to a boil.
As soon as everything starts to boil, add the pasta — in my case short mafalde, but I generally use whole-grain pasta: little tubes or cut spaghetti.
Cover and let simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, and if needed add the lentil cooking water little by little. This technique, in case you didn’t know, is called making risotto-style pasta.
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!
I like to add a bit of freshly chopped parsley directly on the plate, while my Dutch friend likes to add very spicy oil (I make it myself) raw. My son would instead add extra tomato sauce because he likes it very red.
Everyone has their own tastes, but the base is a delicious clinging pasta and lentils. And I won’t even tell you how good it is the next day: it’s even better. How do you prepare this Italian classic? 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 of course be less al dente. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days; I recommend reheating it in the microwave. If you want to freeze it, I suggest using a grain instead of pasta, such as bulgur or farro.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use pre-cooked lentils?
Certainly. For this recipe use 13 oz (about 1 3/4 cups) of drained canned lentils. If you use a different weight you will need to recalculate the WW points. Not having the lentil cooking water, I recommend preparing a little vegetable broth separately to use for cooking the pasta.
