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
30 Comments
Wow. Excellent Comments by readers on their spin on an Italian comfort favorite. Yep, I add carrots, celery, onion too. I like adding vegetable broth instead of water too. I cook the pasta separately so I can eat leftovers or freeze it. Sometimes I pour one or two servings in a separate small pan and add uncooked pasta to thicken the soup. Pasta gets too mushy if left in the leftovers. Does adding salt at the beginning of cooking cause the beans to break down / split?
Thank you for this!❤
Great recipe. There is nothing that hits the spot like pasta and lentils when there's cold weather.
I make lentils regularly but never cooked the pasta in the lentils. It looks delicious. I am going to have to try it this way.
pasta fazool with lentils
Is it just me or is there 20 restaurants within a10 mile radius saying Italian restaurant? What a joke. Only reason why everyone opens up a so called Italian restaurant is because a box of pasta in bulk is 35 cents a ln
can u try making tripe in tomatoes sauce
such a routine recipe gets all them hits…like its there first time on earth
fruity pebbles with milk
Campbell's soup with 3d printer chicken recipe… follow me
This looks delicious, but I really expected a squeeze of lemon to go in at the same time as the parsley… either way you just got yourself a new subscriber!
Just discovered this channel and love it. Recipes are great and Giovanni’s personality is warm and refreshing!
Funny how there are some dishes we grow up with and don’t care for it, then we learn to appreciate as adults. Another great recipe !!!
Use the right amount not the white amount.
I soak the lentils overnight. It’s not necessary the way it is with most dried beans but it helps the flavor leech into the broth. Wouldn’t do it for a lentil salad. Also I add a typical sofftito, carrots, onion etc. Lots of grated cheese and black pepper too.
I just made a batch of Lentils. I love on those cold days. Will take a container out on the New Years Eve.
I remember this is how my grandmother used to made lentils soup. I don't like it.
Now, love it. I was born in Croatia, from the cost of Dalmacija. Our kuzina is almost
the same like Italian .Besides Croatian, they speak Italian too Thanks for great
resepi. It took me back to my childhood when I used to hate. Take care ❤
My Greek friend introduced me to lentils. So few ingredients, yet so delicious. Her version didn't have tomatoes her pasta. I am not a huge fan of tomatoes, but this looks delicious. Could I use tinned tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes? I can't stand tomato skin in my pastas or soups.
My mother made this a lot too.
I loved pasta lenticchie as a kid and even more as an adult–a comfort food that is absolutely nutritious. Never gets old, this one.
I was raised on beans .I love how quick lentils cook. My Mother made them mostly with spinach and lots of tomato.
You definitely know what you're doing! A real pro. Thank you for sharing.
Lentils = money and prosperity for the New Year; same as Black Eyed Peas for many African Americans.
This recipe looks tasty and is very easy to put together.
Italian cuisine is by far the best! No doubt.
Yes we need to see more recipes like this! The humble household kind. Also, a little tip. If you cook the pasta minus 3 mins cooking time, the pasta hardly swells after the soup sits ❤
Hello Giovanni. I just discovered your fascinating Italian cooking channel. Question, Do you have any hardcover Cookbooks available for purchase. John from Warren Michigan USA.
Did anyone come here to check comments on the amount of pepper?
My family ate this a lot when I was growing up although sometimes served over rice instead of pasta. I liked it as a kid but love it as an adult especially in the winter, I make it often. Lentils are nutritious and very affordable, also you can make a big pot and have leftovers for a few days!
I do the same with my lentils, except I grab my left over meatballs (made a batch) and throw it in my soup just to give it that extra boost of flavor and protein. ❤❤🤗🤗🍲🍲
ITALIANA DA PIU' DI 40 ANNI IN CUCINA: qui manca totalmente IL SOFFRITTO CHE E' LA BASE DELLA CUCINA ITALIANA! Volendo mettere tutti gli ingredienti a crudo (cosa più salutare) carota, sedano e cipolla non possono mancare e di aglio basta uno spicchio! Le lenticchie andrebbero prima lavate! L'olio extra vergine d'oliva è meglio aggiungerlo alla fine a crudo onde poter gustarne il sapore. Troppo pomodoro, alla fine saprà solo di pomodoro. Io quando cucino le lenticchie aggiungo sempre la salvia. Con il pepe un pizzico di peperoncino ci sta bene. Il prezzemolo è superfluo, meglio la salvia.