Ol' Blue Eyes

I've been rereading "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold," which is one of the seminal works of New Journalism. It made me want to hear some Sinatra, but I didn't have any of his records, so I ordered Ultimate Sinatra, which has most of his best-known stuff. I put it on the other day while I was making dinner. Mom looked askance at me, and said, "What are we listening to?" with a chuckle. Then Brad came down for dinner and I thought I was really in for it. Brad asked, "Who is this?" When I told him, he said, "Oh yeah, I should've known that." Then I waited for him to pile on, but he didn't, so I asked if he likes Sinatra, and he said, "Who doesn't like Frank Sinatra?!" before adding something about philistines. You could've knocked me over with a felt fedora. By the end of the album, even Mom had come around, so I was pleasantly surprised by everyone's reaction, all in all.

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As I continue working my way through our well-worn binder of "Favorites" looking for dishes that hadn't made it onto the blog yet, this one jumped out at me, given how much all most of us love lentils. This is simple, tasty, and surprisingly quick, as long as you use plain green or brown lentils, rather than a fancy kind like lentils du Puy.

Gigli with Lentils

Adapted from The Quick Recipe (2003) by America’s Test Kitchen

Time: ~45 minutes

You can usually find carrots in bulk at the grocery, so you can just buy two for this recipe. Celery, on the other hand, only comes in bunches, but do yourself a favor and use the remaining stalks to make a celery salad. Use plain green or brown lentils, not the small French lentils du Puy or Spanish Pardina lentils, which take longer to cook and defeat the purpose of this relatively quick pasta recipe. When you’ve used up a whole wedge of Parmesan cheese, put the rind in a ziplock bag in the freezer to save for seasoning soups and stews and dishes like this one.

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter 

2 medium carrots, peeled (~1 cup diced) 

1 large stalk (~40 grams) celery (~¼ cup diced)

1 medium (~140 grams) onion (~1 cup diced) 

100 grams (~½ cup) plain green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed (see note) 

2 cups (475 grams) water 

salt 

1 small piece of Parmesan rind (about 2-by-2 inches), optional (see note) 

3 tablespoons (45 grams) red wine 

1 pound campanelle/gigli, cavatelli, shells, or other shape with crevices to hold the sauce 

2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley leaves 

freshly ground black pepper 

freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

    1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or saucier over a burner set to 1 or 2 notches above medium heat. Dice into ¼-inch pieces the carrot, celery, and onion, in that order, adding each of them to the pan as you go. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
    2. Add the lentils and stir to coat with the butter. Add the water, 1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and the Parmesan rind, if using. Cover the pot, and adjust the heat down to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy and falling apart, about 20–25 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another minute. Discard the Parmesan rind.
    3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large, covered pot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
    4. Toss the drained pasta with the lentils, parsley, a few twists of fresh pepper, and ¼ cup (a 2-ounce ladleful) of the cooking water. Taste for salt or more pepper. Adjust the consistency with additional cooking water if needed, which is unlikely (it’s a pretty loose sauce, though the pasta will absorb some of the liquid). Serve promptly, passing the Parmesan at the table. Serves 4.