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Pasta with Lentils, Tomatoes & Arugula

October 22, 2009

I adore this dish, but for something so simple it sure uses a lot of pots and pans concurrently. Still, it is yummy enough that I don’t mind all the dish washing every once in a while. The caramelized onions are especially good.

I used a lot more arugula than the original recipes calls for, because I was trying to cram 2 weeks worth of it from my farm share into one dish. Arugula wilts into almost nothing even when only briefly cooked. So the 12-16 cups winds up as a very normal, not-overwhelming presence in this dish.

Pasta with Lentils, Tomatoes & Arugula
Adapted from Everyday Food

¾ c. lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 lb. pasta (bow ties, campanelle, or cavatappi work well)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 sweet yellow onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved
¾ c. lentils, picked over and rinsed
12-16 c. arugula (2-3 large bunches), washed & spun dry
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan (optional)

In a small saucepan, prepare lentils according to the package directions. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.

In a large pot, prepare pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and add onions, cooking for about 15 minutes over a medium-low heat until they are soft and golden brown.

While the onions are cooking, remove any tough stems or roots from the arugula, and roughly chop it. Stir tomatoes, cooked lentils, and arugula into the onions, and make sure the ingredients are well-combined. Add the reserved tomato liquid if you would like more of a sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Either combine vegetables with the pasta and serve as a single dish, or serve the vegetables as a topping for the pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

This dish also works nicely as a cold or room temperature pasta salad.

Filed under: CSA, Pasta, Veggie Mains