Fusilli with sour lentils – Fusilli e lenticchie

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 80 g fusilli
• 500 g water
• 8 g chicken broth, granulated
• 1 small broccoli
• 50 g lentils
• 50 g smoked meat, streaky, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 small onions, red
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green, fresh or frozen
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, mild
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 50 g dry white wine
• 4 g salt or granulated chicken stock
• 2 m.-large bay leaves, dried
• 4 stalks of fennel greens, dried
• 2 pinches of black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 4 juniper berries
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs, frozen or dried
• n. B. Chicken broth, granulated
• 1 tsp, heaped wheat flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 m.-large tomato(s), fully ripe
• e.g. balsamic vinegar
• e.g. extra virgin olive oil
• n. B. Black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 small broccoli, leaves and stem only

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 13 hours

Primo Piatto from the province of Apulia, Italy.

Wash the brown lentils and let them soak in plenty of water overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain the water enough so that the lentils are just barely covered. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and chop them into small pieces. Wash the small green chili, cut them crosswise into thin slices, leaving the seeds on, and discarding the stem. Use only the leaves and stem of the broccoli. Wash the leaves and, after steaming, use them whole for garnishing. Trim about 2 cm off the bottom of the stem. Peel the lower section and cut them crosswise into pieces about 6 mm wide. Mix the ingredients for the deglaze. Bring the water for the pasta to a boil and dissolve the chicken stock in it. Add the fusilli and cook al dente according to the package instructions. 5 minutes before the end, add the broccoli pieces and steam the broccoli leaves in a sieve over the pasta. Strain the pasta, reserving the stock. Fry the diced smoked meat in olive oil until lightly browned and fragrant. Add the remaining lentil ingredients and fry for 1 minute. Deglaze with the corresponding, already mixed ingredients. Place the mixture in a covered casserole dish along with the lentils and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes. If the lentils have reduced the liquid in the casserole dish significantly, add more pasta stock. Finally, season to taste. To thicken the dish, heat the oil in a pan, add the flour, and mix well with the oil. Fry, stirring, until light brown. Deglaze with the lentil stock and return it to the lentils. Prepare 2 serving bowls. Place the fusilli in the center. Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves from the lentils and place them on top of the fusilli. When garnishing, drizzle the tomatoes with a few drops of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Finally, season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve the finished primi piatti warm and enjoy.