Rigatoni with Lentils (Rigatoni con le Lenticchie)

Rigatoni with Lentils (Rigatoni con le Lenticchie)
Adapted by: Lidia's Italy

1 cup small lentils (aka whole masoor dal)
⅓ cup carrot, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 onion, diced
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1-24 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspooon black pepper
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 pound rigatoni, or other pasta (reserve pasta water)
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese

Rinse the lentils, and put them in the saucepan with the diced carrot and 3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Cook until the lentils are just tender, about 25 minutes (or longer, depending on size). 

When the lentils are almost cooked, pour the olive oil into the large skillet, and set it over medium- high heat. Add onions and sautee for until translucent. Scatter in the garlic slices, and cook for a minute or two, until sizzling and starting to color; sprinkle the Italian seasoning onto the pan bottom to toast as the garlic sizzles. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, slosh out the can with a cup of cold water, pour that into the skillet, stir well, and bring to the boil. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes or so, just to thicken up a bit. 

When the lentils are tender, pour them into the skillet with the tomatoes, season with the salt and pepper, add red wine vinegar and stir everything together, and heat the sauce to a bubbling simmer. Cook for 25 minutes or so, until the lentils are quite tender and the sauce has thickened to a consistency you like for dressing pasta. If you're going to cook the pasta right away, keep the sauce at a bare simmer. For later use, let it cool, then refrigerate. (If it thickens after cooling, loosen it with pasta water when you reheat it.) 

To cook the rigatoni or other pasta: Fill the big pot with salted water, and heat to a rolling boil. Stir in the pasta, and cook it until barely al dente. Scoop the rigatoni from the water, let drain for a moment, and drop it into the skillet of sauce, simmering over low heat. Toss together for a minute or two, until the rigatoni is evenly dressed and perfectly al dente. 

Turn off the heat, sprinkle on the chopped parsley and a cup of grated cheese, and toss well. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, toss again, and serve immediately in warm bowls, with more cheese at the table.

Verdict: FIVE Stars!
Notes: Kids thought it was delicious and licked it up. This dish reminded me of an Italian version of Dal Dhokli, which leads me to believe that a gravy version of this cooked with Indian spices would taste really nice with some roti or naan. Next time, I may add some eggplant or mushrooms to this dish to add an additional layer of flavor. I would recommend you try this because it was super easy to make and totally worth the effort.