Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Pasta Time! Lentil and Sundried Tomato Spaghettini

We are pasta lovers in this house.
Parmesan cheese...marinara...sauteed with veggies...
and of course my kiddos love meatballs.
These are our standards,
but I am always trying to find way to incorporate
new flavors and tastes into the pasta menu. 
After making my Easy Lentil Dip,
I have been feeling inspired to make a pasta dish with lentils.


Finally, I had the perfect occasion to try this creation out!
Myself and 5 other bloggers are part of a progressive Dinner Party
using Smart and Final's La Romanella products. For this #ChooseSmart dinner,
we have 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and one amazing dessert!
(be sure to check out the linky a little later tomorrow so you can see what we all created!).
I have always wanted to be a part of a progressive dinner!

Have you ever been to a Progressive Dinner?
 A Progressive Dinner is where a group of friends gets together and then one family creates an appetizer, the next creates a main dish etc. Then  the group of friends goes from house to house to eat the different courses/dishes. Typically this is done in separate homes but we are doing it online and that is so much fun!


The first step was to head to Smart and Final and get my ingredients. I regularly use La Romanella Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, and pastas, but on this trip added sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers to the mix. YUM!


I also picked up  some frozen meatballs (my kiddos LOVE them) and
some frozen cheese ravioli (because I am obsessed with making fried ravioli
after watching The Great Food Truck Race).

I picked a good day to shop - the shelves were freshly stocked - in fact they were being stocked as I shopped. The pasta looked so pretty all freshly displayed...and what a great price $1.49 for organic pasta!

You can see my entire path to purchase on google+






I was so excited to create this dish...
It is full of great tasting healthy ingredients and it can easily be adjusted to accommodate different flavors preferences - everyone in my house has an opinion!

Here is how to make it 2 ways...
one veggified and one with meat to satisfy everyone in the house!

Lentil and Sundried Tomato Spaghettini


INGREDIENTS
1 package La Romanella Spaghettini (or pasta of choice)
1 can of roasted red peppers (there are about 6 full peppers in this can. I used 3 and froze the other three)
2 cups La Romanella Sundried Tomatoes (there are plenty left in this jar for other recipes!)
2 Tablespoons La Romanella Olive Oil
1 cup of First Street dried Lentils
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons or to taste La Romanella Balsamic Vinegar


OPTIONAL: Chopped Italian Parsley or Basil (it looks pretty!) OPTIONAL: Parmesan cheese or goat cheese
OPTIONAL: La Romanella Mild Italian Sausage (see note right below)

NOTE - MY HUBBY DOES NOT BELIEVE A MEAL IS A MEAL WITHOUT MEAT....so...
I grilled a few La Romanella Mild Italian Sausage to include a top my pasta creation. Just simple grill on each side, continuing to flip until cooked through and then slice and place atop the pasta.



HOW TO
LENTILS:
  • The night before prepare your lentils by soaking 1 cup of dried lentils in a pot of water. Make sure the water covers the lentils by 1-2" - the lentils should soak for at least 8 hours. (NOTE: I often make the entire bag of lentils - 2 cups dry -  and use the remaining lentils in other recipes.)
  • Once the lentils have soaked, drain the lentils. Prepare a large pot with water and a steamer basket. Add water to "touch the base" of the steamer basket. Place lentils and basket and steam on medium/low heat. I check my lentils about every 20 minutes to ensure the water level is sufficient and for tenderness. I steam them for approximately 40 minutes in total.


PASTA:
  • Fill a large stock pot with water. Add a little salt and olive oil.
  • Bring to a boil and prepare pasta as per package directions. I used Spaghettini - so I boiled it for 6 minutes and then drained the water.


SUNDRIED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS
  • Slice three of the roasted red peppers into thin strips.
  • In a frying pan, add 1-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic.
  • Let the oil heat and the garlic slightly caramelize.
  • Add the red peppers and sundried tomatoes and cook for approximately 6-10  minutes (timing depends on your stove and your taste/texture preference).
  • Add the lentils and toss all together to coat.
  • Add 2-3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Start with 2 Tablespoons and then taste test. Add more if you desire.
  • Continue to toss and combine the mixture for a few minutes. 


FINISHING:
  • Using the large pot you cooked the pasta in, place pasta back in the pot and the add in the lentil/sundried tomato mixture.
  • Toss to coat and add additional Balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

  • Serve alone or top with:
    • Crumbled Goat Cheese 
    • Parmesan Cheese
    • Chopped Italian Parsley or Basil 
OPTIONAL - Now for the meat lovers....Mild Italian Sausage:
I grilled La Romanella Mild Italian Sausage, continuing to flip until cooked through and then sliced and place atop the pasta.
 

And with a sprinkle of Parmesan...

Now back to the Veggie version...
Add some crumbled goat cheese or Parmesan..or not!
How about a fork full of yummy!

There ya go...
Lentil and Sundried Tomato Spaghettini 2 ways to satisfy the whole family!

Remember to connect with Smart and Final on Facebook and Twitter
And check out the Smart and Final Social Circular for great ideas and recipes!

What's your favorite addition to pasta?

 Signature 
This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smart & Final #CBias #SocialFabric

16 comments:

  1. That looks yummy! We like lentils with rice. The pasta idea will be tried. Thanks!

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  2. So Yummy looking! My house is just like yours, my husband would be asking where the meat is so I love that you gave 2 great options. Thanks!

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  3. That looks DELISH! We're opposite in my house...I"m the carnivore!

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  4. Holly.. that looks hearty and great for a cool fall night. Had out pasta last night with Giada De Laurentiis Bucatini Pasta (located at Target now for around 2 bucks).. used butter, black pepper and some great parmesan romano.. oh holy cow.. had to have seconds I did. Yum.

    I love northern italian sausage with fennel inside.. (now my mouth is watering)

    warm hugs,

    Cotton Peony

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  5. This looks so good. It looks like we both participated in the progressive dinner. It's like we practically had dinner together. Virtual friends and a virtual dinner! Maybe one day we'll have a real meal together - that would be lovely!

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  6. Holly, this looks delish! The progressive dinner party is so fun! My appetizer would pair great with your dish! :) Looking forward to seeing what everyone else made for our online party!

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  7. That looks delicious, Holly!

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  8. Holly, I do wish I lived closer to you... I'd be knockin' on your door A LOT smelling all that good stuff you cook ;-)

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  9. Yum! What a unique recipe. Will try soon!

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  10. Holly - That recipe sounds delicious! My hubby is like yours and would have to have real meat!!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Judy

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  11. That looks so good!!!

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  12. Yum! I love it when I find new recipes! :)

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  13. Sundried tomatoes make anything better! YUM.

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  14. I'd love to add this to our dinner repertoire! I think my girls would really like this.

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  15. Holly, HA! I saw Smart and Final & realized I haven't seen that in 5 years since we moved from CA. I love pasta, 'nough said. I love this recipe, great all around!

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Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation! I sure hope you come back for more!