Pasta with Green Lentil Sauce and Chard |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Green lentils make a wonderful sauce for topping pasta. The vegetables in this recipe are cooked separately for more flavor and then combined with the cooked lentils to create a rich sauce. Ingredients:
2/3 cup dried french dark green or other lentils |
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided |
2 bay leaves, divided |
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided |
1 cup finely diced onion |
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper |
3/4 cup finely diced carrot |
3 garlic cloves, minced |
1/2 cup dry red wine |
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste |
1 teaspoon dijon mustard |
1/4 teaspoon black pepper |
4 quarts water |
6 cups chopped swiss chard |
1 (12-ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles |
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese |
Directions:
1. Combine lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 3 inches above lentils; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 bay leaf, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic; sauté 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in red wine, tomato paste, and mustard, and cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are glazed. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add lentils and reserved cooking liquid. Discard bay leaves.
3. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add chard, and cook 5 minutes. Remove chard with a slotted spoon. Stir chard into lentil mixture. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 6 minutes. Drain; toss pasta with 2 tablespoons oil. Place 1 cup pasta on each of 6 serving plates; top each serving with 1 cup lentil mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.
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