Vegetarian Pasta with Lentils and Tomatoes
- 3/4 cup dried lentils
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups cored and chopped fresh tomatoes (or sub 1 can diced tomatoes)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbs fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 1/2 pound pasta, elbow or other small shapes
- 1 tsp minced garlic
The original recipe called for a pound of pasta but used half a pound.
Cook the lentils, carrots, half the onion and enough water to cover over medium heat. Cover when the water hits a low simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, stirring periodically and watching the liquid. Beans and lentils can take various amounts of time to cook depending on how old they are so test and cook longer if needed.
Stir in the tomato, salt and pepper and half the marjoram and cook another 10 minutes or so, then keep warm over very low heat.
Do Ahead Tip: Do the recipe up until this point ahead of time and then refrigerate until later.
Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan and cook the other half of the onion, stirring, for 10 minutes or so, until it becomes slightly brown and crisp.
Put a large pot of water on to boil, add a pinch of salt then cook 1/2 pound or so of dried small pasta, like elbows, until done. Drain, reserving a cup or so of the water.
Stir the cooked and drained pasta into the onions and add the lentils, plus the garlic and the rest of the marjoram plus the olive oil. If it seems overly dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Heat for 2-3 minutes and serve.
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman, my primary go-to source for great vegetarian recipes. 
