Rigatoni with Lentils

Name: Rigatoni with Lentils
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 cup small lentils, preferably lenticchie di Castelluccio (see Sources, page 387); 1/3 cup carrot cut in 1/4-inch dice; 1/3 cup celery cut in 1/4-inch dice; 2 fresh bay leaves; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste; 3 cups (one 28-ounce can) Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 pound rigatoni or other pasta; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano), plus more for passing; A heavy saucepan, 3-to-4-quart capacity; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger; a large pot, 8-quart capacity, for cooking the pasta

December 9, 2011

Lentils and pasta are a traditional pairing in Italian cooking, and most of the regions in the southern part of the boot enjoy pasta con lenticchie in some form, usually in soups. In this dish, which I was served in Basilicata, the lentils were cooked with other vegetables into a sauce that served as a delicious dressing for rigatoni. It was excellent that way. This sauce seems to me even more delightful as a dressing for whole-wheat or barley pasta.

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