How to Cook Pasta with Lentils: Authentic Italian Lentil Soup (One Pot)
Learn how to cook pasta with lentils, a traditional Italian dish that is eaten regularly at home in Italy. Unlike the fancy meals you see in restaurants, this one-pot pasta is a rustic, humble staple that I grew up on. It is a true Blue Zone longevity recipe that is simple, plant-based, and the secret to a long, healthy life.
Beyond being a healthy weeknight dinner, this dish carries a beautiful tradition: in Italy, eating lentils for New Year’s is a symbol of good luck and prosperity because they look like tiny ancient coins. Whether you’re looking for a comforting vegetarian lentil soup or an authentic piece of my childhood, this recipe proves that simple ingredients create the best flavors.
Ingredients:
8oz Ditalini or Tubetti pasta
1.5 cups Dried Green lentils (rinsed)
12oz Cherry tomatoes (quartered)
4 cloves Garlic
Fresh parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
Grated Cheese (optional)
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, sauté olive oil, whole garlic cloves, and quartered cherry tomatoes until fragrant and the tomatoes start to sweat.
2. Once the oil is flavored, remove the garlic cloves.
3. Add your rinsed lentils and enough water to cover them by about an inch. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Check the water level (add more if it’s looking too thick) and stir the dry pasta directly into the pot.
5. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. The starch from the pasta will create a beautiful, creamy consistency.
6. Finish with a handful of fresh parsley, a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some grated cheese.
Video Timestamps
0:00 Lentils in Italy
0:33 Sautéing the base
0:56 Add in the cherry tomatoes
1:29 Add in the lentils
2:00 Removing the garlic
2:58 Add in water and simmer
4:02 Add in the pasta (The One-Pot Method)
4:36 Add in the parsley
5:38 Finished in the pot
5:58 Plating and olive oil
6:40 Giovanni
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✅ One-Pan Dinner: No separate boiling water for pasta! Everything cooks together, meaning less cleanup and more flavor.
✅ Longevity Superfood: A cornerstone of the Blue Zone diet, packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and heart-healthy nutrients.
✅ Budget-Friendly: Made with simple pantry staples like dried lentils and pasta, it’s proof you can eat like royalty on a budget.
💬 Comment Below:
In Italy, everyone has their own version of Pasta e Lenticchie. What’s your family’s recipe? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to Subscribe for more authentic Italian family recipes! 🇮🇹
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#lentils #soup #pasta
8 Comments
Love lentils.
Giovanni, love your channel. This looks delicious. We used to call dishes like this “depression dish #” something. lol. Grew up in 60-70’s and thus, pasta fagioli, escarole and beans, celery-potatoes-beans in the summer or when celery was on sale, stewed green beans and potatoes with light tomato sauce and “rice and Hamburg” in loose light tomato sauce were staples. Many days we were vegetarian and didn’t even know that we were vegetarians. We just ate foods that didn’t have meat and we were happy about it. I didn’t realize how ahead of the game my mother was, I don’t think she did either. She wasn’t a meat fan, and once a year she would try to make a roast, and was totally out of her league. Keep it up, I wish you 1 million subscribers soon. You are definitely a gem. Not too hard on the eyes either from an older gal. Much love.❤ Bellissimo.
Thanks for this recipe, Giovanni. I loved this as a kid and I really enjoyed topping my bowl off with some Parmesan cheese. Lentils not only taste good, they are good for the body. Love the channel. Cheers! 🎉
My mother made this all the time only difference is she broke up spaghetti and put it in the lentils. I loved it then and I still love it now. Brings back great memories!
Hello Giovanni. Watched a few of your videos that have popped up on my yt feed. New sub for sure. You make cooking look so simple. Love from Scotland.👍
Love this recipe. My mom used to make pasta e lenticchie at least once a week, summer or winter. Just like you, I wasn't thrilled, until I was about 15, then I started loving it. I had to watch her make it, she didn't have a recipe as it was "a bit of this and a bit of that". Sometimes I add bacon bits for variation, and parmigiano at the end.
Try Farfalline Pasta instead. Manischewitz makes a delicious Egg Flake Pasta perfect for Lentil Soup.
Like you, I never liked this as a kid and now I love it. I make a big batch each winter. It freezes well if you portion it out before adding the pasta. To take it to the next level, use chicken stock instead of water and add some Parmigiano rinds to the pot. You can also brown some sausage meat or pancetta before adding the lentils.