If you haven't tried them, try them.
Please.
Yeah, yeah, they are healthy. But that's not even why I'm telling you to try them. They really are high on the list of foods that I ooh and aah over every time I eat them. There are so many different varieties, and they do have different textures and tastes, so the kind I am specifically referring to here are the green lentils. They hold their shape (unlike red lentils), they have a great texture, and when boiled and tossed with olive oil and herbs I could devour a big ole' plate of them like you gave me a steak. I'm not saying they taste like steak, just that my enjoyment level is high.
I do enjoy eating them simply prepared next to veggies and bread, but there are other ways to prepare them that are equally delicious. Would you like to know a secret on how to enhance the flavor profile of any lentil dish?
Bacon.
I know, so original of me. As if there's anything that isn't better with bacon. But when you're head over heels over a whole wheat pasta dish with lentils, I think you can afford a little bacon.
I'm a big fan of TJ's Uncured Applewood Smoked Bacon. It's nitrite and nitrate free, and thickly sliced. Bacon has never really been my thing, but in the past year or so I've realized how a little goes a long way when flavoring almost any dish. I'm still not one to sit down to a pile of bacon with my pancakes (at least not too often), but I've learned to appreciate it in small amounts. If I'm creating a recipe in my head, and have a great combination that is just missing a little somethin', bacon or sausage enters the picture and I suddenly have a masterpiece. Thank you pigs for solving all my recipe problems!
And yes, I just added bacon to my health food. I'm American, what can I say?
Bacon Lentil Pasta
Ingredients:
3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed and picked over, preferably soaked for several hours (or overnight)
5-6 oz. dry (2 cups dry) whole wheat fusilli pasta (or pasta of choice)
2-4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
Place the diced bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook until some of the fat renders out and it's beginning to brown, but not fully cooked. Leave all the bacon fat in the pan and add the sliced onions. Add a bit of salt to the onions, and cook them until caramelizing. You shouldn't need to add any fat, but if there doesn't seem to be enough to prevent the onions from sticking, add a bit of butter. Meanwhile, boil your lentils for about 10 minutes or until tender. As soon as the lentils are done, drain them and put them in the pan with the bacon and onions, and add all of the herbs. Season to taste with salt, mix it well, and let it all cook together on low heat for 3-5 minutes. Cook the pasta according to your liking, drain it, and add it to the lentil bacon mixture. Stir it all together well, drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, and serve immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment