Vegetarian Umbrian Lentil Soup with Pasta
At the end of last year, friends came to stay who live in Cascia, Umbria. Cascia is in a part of Umbria known as the Valnerina. This area is famous for a number of crops including small lentils, other legumes and saffron. So I was thrilled that they brought me some of their famous lentils (as well as other goodies!). I used them in this Umbrian lentil soup with pasta recipe. Definitely the best lentils I have ever tasted!
Minestra di lenticchie con pasta.
Did you know that lentils are the oldest pulse crop in the world? People have been cultivating them for thousands of years. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all grew and ate lentils. Of course, there are many different types of this tiny legume and they come in various colours, with red, brown and green being the most popular.
Lentils in Italy.
Here in Italy, lentils, as well as other legumes, were an important staple for the poorer and peasant population, especially in the Central and Southern regions. This was particularly true in the winter. The most popular way to eat lentils was (and probably still is) with pasta. There are many traditional lentil and pasta recipes in the regions where these legumes are cultivated. In some, the lentils are made into a sauce. In others, the dish is more like this Umbrian lentil soup.
I’m not sure when the tradition started, but, nowadays Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Eve at midnight! The lentils are usually served with cotechino, a rich seasoned pork sausage. According to tradition, people eat large quantities of lentils because they are believed to bring prosperity in the year to come. Perhaps, because lentils look like little coins.
The health benefits of lentils.
Lentils were also the most popular substitute for fish for poorer Catholics during periods of fasting and abstinence, such as Lent. I always find it interesting that in the past, people understood the nutritional value of certain foods, even though I don’t think they understood words like carbohydrates, proteins etc!
Today we know that lentils add essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the diet. They also provide protein and are an excellent replacement for meat in meals. They are one of the best food sources of potassium and have folic acid, calcium and magnesium. So, really a super food that is also economical and easy to prepare.
Lentils from Umbria.
The best and most well-known lentils in Italy come from Umbria, particularly those grown in the Nera Valley known as the Valnerina. As I mentioned, these are the ones I have used in this Umbrian lentil soup with pasta. Apart from lentils, this area is also famous for farro, roveja wild peas, grass peas (chickling vetch), saffron, black truffles, pork products from the town of Norcia and trout from the Nera river!
In fact, a visit to the Valnerina is on my to do list this year. I particularly want to go to Castellucio di Norcia, where the most prized lentils are cultivated on a large 16 square kilometer plateau more than 1,400 mt above sea level. Apparently the flowering season there is a wonder to see. Thousands of flowers bloom the plateau, filling it with shades of colours that range from yellow to red and from violet to white.
Apart from the lentils, I have read there are dwarf gentians, poppies, narcissus, violets, asphodel, Eugenia violets, clover, oxalis and many more. Check out the bellaumbria.net site to learn more
Lentil cultivation in this part of Umbria is totally organic and sustainable. Farmers raise the crops using the same methods as their grandfathers and great grandfathers did. The only difference being that nowadays some harvesting is done by machine instead of by hand! However, the lentils are grown using a 3 year group rotation method, meaning one year lentils, one year wheat and one year fallow.
Making this Umbrian lentil soup with pasta.
Umbrian lentils are tiny, similar to the French green lentils from the Puy region of France. They don’t need to be pre-soaked and require just 20-30 minutes simmering to soften. When ready, they have a nice creamy texture and rich nutty taste. So, you don’t necessarily need a lot extras to make them flavorful. In fact, this recipe for Umbrian lentil soup with pasta is pretty simple.
If you don’t have Umbrian lentils, you can use any small lentils in this Umbrian lentil soup recipe. However, better not to use the larger red lentils which can become mushy when cooked.
Apart from the legumes, this Umbrian lentil soup and pasta recipe has only a few other ingredients. You will need celery, carrots, an onion, garlic, rosemary and tomato concentrate for the soup, plus pasta. This recipe is both vegan and vegetarian. There are versions that include meat such as small cubes of pancetta or guanciale or sausage. Of course, you can add one of those if you like. I’d suggest browning the meat with the onions, celery and carrots.
Some people prefer to make this dish ‘drier. I like it with more liquid. However, the pasta and lentils will absorb the liquid even after you have finished cooking. So, leftovers tend to be ‘drier’.
What pasta is best?
In Italy, the most popular pasta used with lentil soup is ditalini. However, some Italians use broken spaghetti or linguine or a type of flat maltagliati. In Abruzzo, sagne is popular. In fact, the pasta I used for this Umbrian lentil soup is from Abruzzo. It’s a dried pasta called sagnarelli which looks something between sagne and the larger sagne a pezzi, both typical and traditional pasta shapes in Abruzzo.
This pasta was made by a company in Abruzzo called Giuseppe Cocco. This was actually the first type of pasta I have tried from this company. But, it won’t be the last. I really liked this pasta. It’s bronze extruded and made with natural spring water. I know this company exports to US and US readers can buy it online from https://www.supermarketitaly.com/ I’m not sure where else they export to.
Whichever pasta you choose to make this warming and nutritious Umbrian lentil soup with, I’m sure you will enjoy it!
If you make this Umbrian lentil soup with pasta recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. So, please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
saif says
I did tried lentil soup and it is very delicious. I am not familiar mixing this with pasta, but it looks very creative, and I love the presentation. I think I am going to make this in my kitchen. Thank you.
Angela Sedlak | Mean Green Chef says
Lentils and pasta you can count me in, wow this looks delish! Thanks so much for sharing, added to my must-try list 🙂
Kacey Perez says
So yummy and comforting. The perfect recipe to give a try during the colder months!
Christian Guzman says
So interesting! I love lentils but I've never eaten them with pasta like this. I will have to give it a try.
Jere Cassidy says
We eat lentils all the time, they are perfect for meatless nights. I love that you added pasta, so this is my next lentil recipe to try.
Jenni LeBaron says
Lentil soup is so hearty and comforting and this one with pasta looks spectacular. It's been really cold here today so I could go for a bowl of this now!
Stine Mari says
This looks like a delicious and comforting bowl of lentil soup. The added pasta makes it more filling and interesting too, great recipe!
Sivaranjani says
Soupy pasta looks yummy.. i always love your writeups about the recipe as well some histories about it. It is really interesting for readers who loves to know the recipe and its origin.
Sharon says
I really love this comfort food pasta dish. It has such a delicious soup base in it as well.
Antonio says
Pasta e lenticchie was one of those things growing up as a child in Italy I did not like. It's not that I was a fussy eater, but when you're little you wish you could eat only your favourite things every day. But it was always made at least once a week in our house, in different ways.. and eventually I started to like it, then love it. I'm glad my parents persisted! Nowadays I always buy Umbrian lentils, they are so good it makes any dish come out better than expected. Your recipe is almost exactly how we make it, and yes it's great to use something different from ditalini for a change.
Julie says
Yum! just Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I have never had lentil soup with pasta in it before, but I am intrigued!! This needs to happen in my house!!
Dannii says
I love lentil soup - a really cheap comforting meal.
Pam Greer says
This is such a warm and comforting soup! So interesting that they eat lentils on New Year's Eve, here in the Southern US, we eat black-eyed peas!
Andrea Metlika says
I've recently started eating more lentils and this soup with pasta sounds wonderful. I can't wait to make this.
Sue says
I just love your site! I always find something new and interesting every time I visit. My husband is a huge lentil fan, so I'm going to make this for him.
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Sue. I am happy to hear that you like what I am doing!
Cate says
Looks super hearty and filling, perfect for these last few winter nights, thanks for the idea!
The Pasta Project says
Very true, Cate! It's perfect food for waiting for Spring!
Erica Schwarz says
I have a bag of lentils and hadn't figured out yet what to do them, so I'm making this. Love how flavorful it looks while also being so affordable.
The Pasta Project says
This recipe is a perfect use for them, Erica.
Paula Montenegro says
Great new pasta recipe to try! I never had lentils in a pasta dish and I hadn't seen that rectangular pasta. Love both! This is happening soon in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Paula! Lentils are such a good texture combination with pasta, I hope you love it!
Farah Abumaizar says
I'm a huge lentil soup fan and those shards of pasta look absolutely delicious. What a heart meal!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Farah. You must try this one if you love lentils!