Lentil Soup with Ditalini Pasta, Spinach and Lemon Herb Oil

This recipe comes to us from our partner Dan Pelosi (@grossypelosi), who based it on his grandfather’s version of Italian lentil soup. Tiny ditalini pasta add texture and heartiness to the dish, while a drizzle of lemon herb oil brightens every bowl. While it may seem odd to add a parmesan rind to the simmering broth, it’s an age-old Italian technique to add depth and flavor to recipes.

Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 medium carrots, diced

1 medium bunch celery, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

8-10 cups vegetable stock

1 cup green lentils

1 large sprig rosemary

1 parmesan rind

2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped

1 cup ditalini pasta

Parmesan cheese, grated

Lemon Herb Oil

1/2 cup olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup minced parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

For the soup:

Melt butter with olive oil in a Dutch Oven set over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, salt, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are until softened and fragrant, about 15 minutes.

Add 8 cups stock and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, rosemary sprig and parmesan rind. Turn heat down to low and cover the pot with the lid. Cook until the lentils are soft, about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ditalini pasta just until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Once the lentils are softened, add the cooked pasta to the lentils and stir. Add more vegetable broth as desired to create a soup-like consistency. Continue cooking for 10 minutes more, to warm the broth thoroughly.

For the herb oil:

While the soup simmers, make the herb oil. In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Serve bowls of the soup topped a drizzle of the lemon herb oil and grated parmesan cheese.