Also known as pasta e lenticchie alla Siciliana (now that’s an Italian mouthful) or Sicilian-style lentil pasta, this perfect winter warmer is originally a peasant dish that can be served as a perfect main dish (or as a side dish) with your favorite protein. The sauce can be prepared 1 of 2 ways: You can make it either soupy or saucy (per the recipe) or allow most of the liquid to reduce, for a thicker texture that coats the pasta. Speaking of soupy, I also have a hearty and delicious Lentil Soup (picture above) that is made similarly to this, minus the pancetta and pasta, but loaded with vegetables. Speaking of the pasta, I have made this dish in the past using a large rigatoni but the lentils get buried under the weight of the pasta so decided to change it up and started using small (and very cute) ditalini – the outcome is much better. This is not a vegetarian dish, but it would not take much tweaking to make it so. Simply omit the pancetta and switch the chicken stock/broth for veggie stock/broth. Or, you could chop up vegan bacon or sausage in place of the pancetta. Still a fantastic flavor combination.
Best lentils to use
I would say whatever you can find. I used brown lentils, but green or red can also be used for a bit of color variation. Lentils are widely used in Sicilian cooking and while my husband and I have not made the trip to Sicily yet, we have visited Italy many times and sampled some amazing authentic pasta dishes.
Lentils for good luck
Sicilians eat lentils as a symbol of good luck and prosperity – so eat up your lentils, they’re good luck and good for you! More Pasta Recipes:
Linguine with Shrimp (Linguine con Gamberi) Traditional Spaghetti Carbonara Lasagna Bolognese
If you’ve made this Sicilian Lentil Pasta or any other recipe, please leave a comment below. I love to hear from my readers.
