Penne with lentils and mushrooms

  • Portion size: Serves 4
  • Hands-on time 40 min
  • Difficulty: easy
Recipe by: Gennaro Contaldo

A guaranteed crowd pleaser, this vegetarian pasta dish is made all the richer with the addition of castelluccio lentils and garlicky mushrooms. Make the recipe vegan by omitting the optional grated cheese.

On the search for more Italian vegetarian recipes? Take a look at our bumper collection. 

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Ingredients

  • 200g castelluccio lentils (see Know-how)
  • 300g dried penne pasta
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 160g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 200g passata 
  • 20g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, freshly grated (optional)
  • Finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley to serve
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Method

  1. Cook the lentils in boiling water according to the pack instructions until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring another large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until al dente.
  3. At the same time, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic cloves and fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then remove the garlic cloves. Add the passata and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the cooked lentils, then stir into the tomato and mushroom sauce.
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  5. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and mix to combine. Stir in the grated cheese (if using), then remove from the heat and serve sprinkled with a little chopped parsley.

This recipe is is from Gennaro’s Pasta Perfecto! Published by Pavilion Books. Grab yourself a copy here.

Nutrition

  • 586kcals Calories
  • 33.4g (8.5g saturated) Fat
  • 23.7g Protein
  • 46.1g (3.1g sugars) Carbs
  • 3.3g Fibre
  • 1g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot.

Cook smarter

Castelluccio lentils, from Umbria, look similar to puy lentils. They’re rich,
full of flavour and hold their shape well once cooked. Buy them from Italian delis, online from carluccios.com, or use green or brown lentils instead.

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