Italian lentils with pasta

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 200 g lentils (small, dried, Italian or French)
• 100 g bacon, streaky
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅛ liter white wine, dry
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 200 g pasta (macaroni, short or broken into pieces)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Pasta and Lentils

Depending on the package instructions, you may need to soak the lentils in water for a while. For this recipe, I use small Chateau lentils from the organic store, which don’t require soaking. Dice the bacon and lightly sauté it with the diced onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the lentils with the soaking water (if you’re not soaking the lentils, simply add the appropriate amount of water). Crush the garlic and stir in the tomato paste. Simmer gently until the lentils are almost soft. Add the white wine and a little more water if needed (the dish should have a soup-like consistency). Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and simmer for another 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Add the balsamic vinegar and season again with salt and pepper if desired. Important: Only add salt to the lentils as directed AFTER cooking, otherwise they won’t soften!