Umbrian lentil and sausage pasta recipe (with homemade strangozzi).
A traditional rustic and hearty Umbrian pasta recipe made with lentils, sausage and onions and the region's iconic flour and water strangozzi pasta. Of course, you can use other pasta instead.
Servings: 4
Calories: 635kcal
Equipment
- 1 large pot to cook pasta
- 1 large skillet to make sauce
- 1 chopping board to prepare onions and sausages
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 saucepan to cook lentils
Ingredients
For the strangozzi pasta
- 10.5 ounces Italian '00'soft wheat flour or all purpose flour
- 4-5 fluid ounces water
- 1 pinch salt
For the lentil and sausage ragu
- 3.5 ounces small green/brown lentils
- 2-3 Italian pork sausages
- 1 sweet red onion
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
- 3.5 ounces tomato passata
- salt for pasta and to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
- 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated to serve
Instructions
Strangozzi pasta
- If you are making homemade strangozzi, follow the instructions on my homemade strangozzi post (link below).
Make the lentil and sausage ragu.
- Next, rinse the lentils to remove any stones or debris. Then cook them in plenty of lightly salted water until al dente. Then drain.
- Remove the sausage meat from the casing and crumble it into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion.
- In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion in oil over a low heat for 5 minutes Add the sausage meat and cook until just browned.
- Add the drained lentils and cook mixed with the sausage for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
- Add the tomato passata and 3-4 tablespoons of water. Mix everything together and continue cooking for another 10 minutes on a lower heat ,Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the strangozzi until al dente. Save some of the pasta cooking water. Then, drain and add the pasta to the pan with the sauce.
- If the sauce seems dry, pour in some of the pasta water. Finally, add some grated Parmiggiano cheese, and serve immediately.
Notes
To make homemade strangozzi follow the instructions on my homemade strangozzi post. Alternatively, use another egg-less long flat pasta or even pasta tubes like penne.
Cooking times don't include making homemade pasta.
Instead of Umbrian lentils, you can use French puy lentils or other small brown/green lentils.
Instead of Norcia sausages you can use other Italian pork sausages, preferrably without fennel seeds.
Instead of Cannara onions, you can use other types of sweet red onions.
Nutrition
Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 7mg