THE BEST PASTA WITH LENTILS

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This Italian pasta with lentils is one of the best nourishing meals you can cook using a few cupboard essentials. It’s a simple yet delicious 1-pot recipe, healthy, vegan and amazingly GOOD.

Basically, it’s the supreme example of how to turn basic inexpensive ingredients into a perfect weeknight meal for every family: economical, flavorsome, and full of nutrients.

A white bowl full of pasta with lentils.

I’ve been cooking this Italian pasta dish for ages, it has been one of my favorite staples since I was a kid. I love its simplicity, the homey flavor, the thick texture, the fact that it’s so filling, packed with protein, and requires minimal ingredients.

Extra bonus? The day after tastes even better!

 

What ingredients you need

  • Green or brown lentils
  • Pasta
  • Fresh or canned tomatoes
  • Onion & garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Tomato paste
  • Bay leaves
  • Cumin
  • Broth
  • Salt & pepper

The ingredients for this pasta with lentils are arranged on a white marble table and a small wooden board.

How to make it

  • Saute’ onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes
  • Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves and cook another minute
  • Stir in lentils, cumin, tomato paste, pepper, and broth
  • Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are soft
  • Add the pasta, salt and cook over low-medium heat

How to cook pasta with lentils: two pictures of a white pot shows two different steps.

  • Cook all in one pot adding a touch of broth or water if needed
  • Serve with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
  • Optional: Also, you can serve it with chopped parsley, chili flakes, and grated parmesan cheese!

A white cast iron pot full of pasta with lentils with 2 bay leaves on top and a wooden spoon.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

First things first, this easy 1-pot recipe makes a healthy balanced meal, costs less than $ 1 per serving and tastes delicious. Lentils are amazing cupboard essentials and buying them in bulk will save you money!

WHY IS THIS PASTA WITH LENTILS SO GOOD?

This pasta with lentils recipe is a must in every Italian family. It looks more like a stew than a pasta dish, and the pasta cooks while the lentil stew simmers.  In Italy, this is the way we cook pasta with pulses: slowly, in a broth packed with nutrients and flavor.

In this pasta with lentils, the flavor comes from the sauteed garlic, the onion, the bay leaves, the sweet tomatoes which make the broth richer, and the cumin to add depth of flavor.
To make things even better, don’t skip a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper when you serve it. You will love it.

The most popular pasta shapes for this recipe are ditali or ditalini (basically what I used in these pictures) or any sort of small resilient pasta like orecchiette or shells are fine. However, often my mother used to break spaghetti into short pieces to make this recipe. That’s another popular variation that works just fine.

Pasta with lentils served in a white bowl with a spoon.

ARE LENTILS GOOD FOR YOU?

Yes, lentils are super nutritious, low in fat, and high in minerals and fiber. Plus, they’re a fantastic vegetarian source of protein which makes them an excellent replacement for meat in meals.
To make this pasta with lentils healthier and more nutritious, switch to whole-grain pasta, and you’ll get more natural fiber and micronutrients than white pasta.

DO YOU HAVE TO SOAK LENTILS BEFORE COOKING THEM?

Not really. Because lentils are so small and cook quickly, you don’t need to soak them in advance. They’re done in about 25-30 minutes.

A white table and two white bowls full of pasta with lentils.

HOW TO STORE PASTA WITH LENTILS LEFTOVERS?

If you have any leftovers, you can store pasta with lentils in the fridge in a tight lid container for 2 days.
The pasta will absorb liquid as it sits and to reheat, add up to 1 cup of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat.

MORE ITALIAN PASTA RECIPES?

If you make this delicious pasta with lentils or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

A white bowl full of pasta with lentils.
Print Recipe
4.95 from 38 votes

PASTA WITH LENTILS

This Italian pasta with lentils is one of the best nourishing meals you can cook using a few cupboard essentials such as dried lentils and pasta. It's an easy yet delicious 1-pot recipe, healthy, vegan and amazingly GOOD.
Note: chose US customary or metric/tap on servings to scale quantities!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: pasta, Soup
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword: Pasta with lentils
Servings: 3
Calories: 513kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 ¼ cup short pasta shapes (ditalini, elbows, orecchiette, mezzi rigatoni...)
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth, plus more if needed
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves (see notes)*
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small-sized onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • fine salt, to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute' for 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves and stir for a minute (If you use canned tomatoes or only tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes, add them along with the ingredients listed below).
  • Add lentils, cumin, tomato paste, broth, and pepper.
  • Increase heat and bring to simmer. Place lid on and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until lentils are soft.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your liking (see notes).*
  • Add pasta, cook gently over medium heat until al dente. Stir frequently!
  • If the stew seems too thick, gradually add a touch of water or broth and thin to desired consistency (note: the longer it sits on the stove, the thicker it will get). Taste, you might want to adjust again the seasoning before serving.
  • Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese if you don't keep it vegan. Also, garnish with chili flakes and chopped parsley for extra flavor if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

 
LENTILS: brown or green lentils are my favorite for this recipe.
RINSE THE LENTILS: place the lentils in a colander and make sure you pick out any debris or small stone, then give them a good rinse under runny water.
TOMATOES: fresh, canned or tomato paste make the stew richer and tastier. However, you can substitute fresh tomatoes with  ⅓ cup of canned diced tomatoes or an extra Tbsp of tomato paste. If you use only tomato paste, a total of 2 Tbsps is enough.
BROTH: the amount of broth is added gradually to the pasta, which absorbs it completely and retains its starch. And you want to stir often until the water is absorbed, otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of the pot.
SALT: if you use broth rather than water, it's important to adjust the seasoning when the lentils are done and you're about to add pasta, as you never really know how salty the broth is.  
NOTE: nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 1043mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 7mg

98 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this recently and really enjoyed how it turned out – and there were loads of leftovers too. Also added chilli flakes, parmesan and extra parsley at the end – all great flavour toppers! Will definitely do this again – so thank you!

    1. I’m so glad to hear that, it sounds delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback, Matthew.
      Cheers x

  2. 5 stars
    Just wanted to comment and say I really enjoyed this and have added your site to my favorites tab. Thank you

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mike! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. 😊

  3. 5 stars
    I made this with staples in my pantry and it was so easy and so good. I used some penne and red lentils on hand, and a small jar of tomato sauce since I didn’t have fresh tomatoes. I cooked the lentils for about 15 minutes, then added the pasta and cooked for about 30-45 min more on low, adding water once. I used green onion, pepper flakes and oil and vinegar for garnish. I’m always looking for good vegan recipes during Lent. I can’t wait to have this for lunch tomorrow at work. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!

    1. I’m so pleased you enjoyed our favorite pasta with lentils, Ria. Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback! 💛

  4. How many calories is a 1 cup serving?

    1. Hi April, the recipe makes 3 servings, but sadly I didn’t take note of the calories per cup when I calculated the nutritional values. The amount of cups is not so reliable for this recipe, it depends on the pasta shapes you use and on the amount of broth. x

  5. Hi, can I use chicken stock as opposed to broth for this recipe?

    1. Hi Daniela, feel free to use chicken stock if you wish. x

  6. 4 stars
    This was super simple and delicious! I didn’t see where it said only 1/3 cup for canned tomatoes until I had already poured in a whole can but it was fine and will do it again. I will say I only cooked my lentils 20 minutes before adding in my pasta and the lentils were undercooked once it was all finished so next time I’ll cook the lentils 10 or so minutes longer. Thank you for this quick, yummy, one pot meal!

    1. You’re so welcome, Clarissa! 😊 I’m so pleased you liked it and thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. x

  7. 5 stars
    Really enjoyed this. Just found your site and it seems to fit my way of eating, mostly plant-based. I’m cooking your butternut squash chickpea soup right now. Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Thanks for your lovely comment, Emilie 😊 I’m so glad my recipes fit your way of eating, I’m all about veggies, legumes, and pasta, they’re my staples 😉.x

  8. 5 stars
    Yum!!! Made this tonight and my man and I really loved it. He said; “Absolutely delicious.!…” about 5 times. He even wanted seconds! 🙂
    So simple to make too. Safe to say we’ll definitely be making this again.
    Love your recipes. Keep them coming!

    1. Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback, Nicole! 💛 I’m so happy you both loved this recipe, and yes… more good recipe to come! 😉

  9. 5 stars
    Excellent quick meal. As I was overdue for a grocery run, and had no makings for salad in the house, I added frozen green beans for extra color and nutrition. Tasted great!

    1. I’m very pleased you liked it, Lisa! Thanks so much for your comment 😊

  10. Your recipe varies in cup sizes but the grams stay the same and if you follow the grams I have been short in meal portion size.
    Great recipe but could you change cup size to metric as 0.83 cup is very hard to work out for lentils as is 0.67 cup for pasta!

    Sorry to ask this but not everyone has cups on their scales.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Caroline, it reminds me I still have to modify most of my recipe cards. I’ve just tweaked this one, now you’re able to scale the grams 🙂

  11. Nancy Toves says:

    So good , fast, and easy to make.

    1. Thank you for sharing your feedback, Nancy! 🙂

  12. 5 stars
    Fabulous! Being garlic lovers, I used 5 cloves, but that’s just us. I figured it would be good, inexpensive and filling but it was sooo delicious. Next time I would add a few more tomatoes near the end just for appearance. I’m in my 70’s so the old taste buds are failing slightly as is common in aging, but I didn’t need to add any salt. My husband added a few sprinkles of pepper flakes. I served this as a main meal with a salad of greens, blackberries, blueberries, apples and Spanish peanut on top.. It was a great pairing. We are a little on the heavier side and agreed that, with a salad, this will serve 4…add some crusty bread…FEAST!

    1. Your comment made my day, Judi! Serving this pasta & lentils with crusty bread and such a good salad sounds like a fabulous meal. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Thank you x

  13. 5 stars
    Delish! So easy to cook and so tasty! I added Polsa Kibasa sausage. I will definitely be cooking it again! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    1. Your comment makes me happy, Willie! Thank you 🙂

  14. 5 stars
    This is an easy and delicious recipe! I was buying canned lentil soup but once I found this recipe, it’s now my go to. I used chicken and vegetable broth as my base and they were both good!

    1. This has been my lentil soup since I was a child, and I’m so glad it’s going to be your go to lentil soup from now on 😉 Thanks so much for your comment, Jennifer! x

    2. In the directions it says add bay leaves, but they are not listed in the ingredients. How many bay leaves should be added?

    3. 1 or 2 bay leaves are fine! For some reason I missed to mention them again in the list, I’ll be adding them now, sorry x

  15. 5 stars
    This was delicious and Sooooooooo simple. I used a no chikin broth and I topped with a little balsamic vinegar can you say yummy. I had with Italian bread, this willl be a new staple.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Tee! I’m so to share this family’s recipe, glad you loved it 🙂

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