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Pasta e Lenticchie
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Pasta e Lenticchie

Pasta and lentils—pasta e lenticchie—is a traditional Italian favorite with many versions. Here's ours.
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces collard greens, thick stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 ounces Italian sausage, mild or spicy (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 teaspoons fresh leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • 8 ounces penne rigate or other small pasta
  • 1 cup green or brown lentils

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it is boiling, salt it generously and add collard greens. Cook for 3 minutes, then using a slotted spoon, transfer to a strainer to drain. (You can turn the pasta water pot off now, reheating it when you get ready to cook the pasta.)
  • Cook the lentils and pasta. In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and 4 cups of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium boil and cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 15 minutes.
  • While the lentils are cooking, return pasta water to a boil and cook the pasta (the pasta water will be green, thanks to blanching the collard greens in it—no worries). Cook the pasta about 2 minutes less than the recommended al dente cooking time, timing it to coincide with the lentils being cooked. Drain the pasta, reserving 1-1/2 cups of cooking water.
  • Meanwhile, cook the sauce. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high flame. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, create a space in the middle of the pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently for about 1 minute, then stir into sausage and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
  • Clear the middle of the pan again and add garlic, dried thyme and crushed red pepper (if using fresh thyme, stir in later, when you add the pasta to the pan). Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds, then stir everything together.
  • Create one more clear spot in the center of the pan and add tomato paste, pressing down. Cook for about 1 minute to brown it slightly. Stir to combine everything and season with salt and pepper.
  • Drain the cooked lentils and add to the pan. Add drained pasta and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, stirring to combine everything. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes, sampling to make sure it is done. Add a little extra water if the dish seems to be drying out—the cooking pasta will absorb some of the water.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Divide among 4 shallow pasta bowls, top with additional grated Parmesan and serve.

Kitchen Notes

Spicy or no? Either sausage will work, so this is totally up to you.
Crushed red pepper flakes—how much? Depends on whether you use spicy sausage or not. And how much heat you like. I had mild sausage on hand, so 1/2 teaspoon of pepper flakes added subtle heat. With spicy sausage, you can use less or forgo them altogether.