# Pasta e lenticchie — spaghetti with lentils, pressure cooker, 4 persons

Southern-Italian one-pot: lentils stewed with soffritto and tomato paste, then
broken spaghetti cooked directly in the same pot so the starch thickens it.
Ends up between a thick soup and a sauced pasta — eaten with a spoon.

Written to spend the lentils (6 days past bb), the garlic (9 days past), the
onions (5 days past), the carrots (9 days left) and the smoked bacon (8 days
left). No shopping.

Deliberately *not* the Bulgarian леща from 2026-07-27 — no potatoes, no flour
roux, no lovage; this one leans on olive oil, garlic and the pasta starch.

## Ingredients

**From inventory:**

_food2-box:_
- [ ] 300g dried green lentils `ID:lentils-green-saban` (location: food2-box, bb:2026-07-31) ⚠️ expired — quality check before use (smell for mustiness, pick out stones) — or `ID:lentils-yerli-saban` / `ID:lentils-bulgarian`, same bb
- [ ] 250g spaghetti, broken into 3–4cm pieces `ID:spaghetti-lidl-0117` (location: food2-box, bb:2028-10-14) — or 250g fusili `ID:fusili-2026-06-07` (location: food4, bb:2028-03-26) if you would rather not break spaghetti

_pantry-fridge:_
- [ ] 150g smoked bacon, diced `ID:bacon-smoked-2026-07-31` (location: pantry-fridge, bb:2026-08-14) — one of the two packs
- [ ] ~300g carrots, i.e. 3 medium `ID:carrots-2026-07-10` (location: pantry-fridge, bb:2026-08-15)
- [ ] ~150g white brine cheese (сирене) for serving `ID:cheese-nasheselo-2026-07-21` (location: pantry-fridge, bb:2027-02-02) — stands in for pecorino, see Variations

_pantry-behind-stove:_
- [ ] ~250g onion, i.e. 2 medium `ID:onions-2026-07-02` (location: pantry-behind-stove, bb:2026-08-01) ⚠️ expired — quality check before use (discard any soft or sprouting ones) — top up from `ID:onion-kaba-2026-07-08` (bb:2026-08) if short
- [ ] 4 cloves garlic (~20g) `ID:garlic-2026-07-08` (location: pantry-behind-stove, bb:2026-07-28) ⚠️ expired — quality check before use (cut out any green shoots, they turn bitter) — or `ID:garlic-parkmart-2026-07-15`, same bb

_pantry-spice-stove:_
- [ ] 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil `ID:oliveoil-costadoro` (location: pantry-spice-stove, bb:2027) — 3 for frying, 2 raw at the table
- [ ] 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar `ID:vinegar-paros` (location: pantry-spice-stove, bb:2029)

_food1:_
- [ ] 3 tbsp double-concentrated tomato paste (~50g) `ID:Baresa ДОМАТЕНО ПЮРЕ` (location: food1, bb:2028-05-11) — the last tube in food1; it expires before the three in food3 (bb:2028-06-15), so open this one first

_F-01:_
- [ ] 1 chicken bouillon cube `ID:Kania БУЛЬОН ПИЛЕШКИ` (location: F-01, bb:2027)

_F-13 (spices):_
- [ ] 1 tsp smoked paprika `ID:paprika-smoked-2026-06-21` (location: F-13, bb:2028-03-06)
- [ ] 1 tsp dried parsley `ID:parsley-dried-2026-05-16` (location: F-13, bb:2027-07-30)
- [ ] black pepper, generously `ID:pepper-black-harmony` (location: F-13, bb:2028)
- [ ] ¼ tsp ground chili, to taste `ID:chili-aladham` (location: F-13, bb:2027)

_F-03:_
- [ ] salt to taste `ID:salt-coarse` (location: F-03, bb:2031)

**Missing — no shopping this time:**
- ❌ Celery — the third leg of a proper soffritto. Not on board. The carrot and onion carry it; the bouillon cube adds some of the same savoury note.
- ❌ Fresh parsley — only the dried is on board, and dried parsley is a weak substitute. Use it, but do not expect it to lift the dish the way fresh would.
- ❌ Bay leaf (дафинов лист) — still not in stock (noted on 2026-07-27 too). It is already on the wanted-items list.
- ❌ Pecorino / parmesan — the brine cheese replaces it, see Variations.

**Preparation needed:**
- [ ] 💧 Rinse the 300g lentils, pick out stones, and leave them in cold water while you chop. Soaking is not required with the pressure cooker, but these are past their date and a 20–30 min soak makes them cook evenly.

## Equipment

- **Pressure cooker** — lentils first, lid off for the pasta stage. One pot, one burner, start to finish.
- **No blender needed** — if you want it creamier, crush a ladleful of cooked lentils against the side of the pot with a spoon before the pasta goes in.
- **No oven, no microwave** — not used.
- A colander is not needed: the pasta is never drained, so all the starch stays in the pot. (The pasta strainer in `pantry-under-sink-bottom` can stay where it is.)

## Instructions

**Prep (all chopping done before any heat — the garlic-and-paprika step lasts seconds):**

1. Rinse 300g lentils in cold water, pick out stones, leave them soaking in cold water.
2. Finely chop ~250g onion (2 medium). Cut ~300g carrots (3 medium) into 5mm dice — dice, not rounds, so they sit on the spoon with the pasta. Finely chop 4 cloves garlic. Dice 150g smoked bacon into ~1cm cubes.
3. Break 250g spaghetti into 3–4cm pieces (easiest inside a folded tea towel, or snap the bundle in thirds) and keep it by the stove. Have the 3 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp smoked paprika and the bouillon cube within arm's reach.

**Lentil stage:**

4. Pressure cooker open, medium heat, 3 tbsp olive oil. Fry the 150g diced bacon 4–5 minutes until the fat has rendered and the edges brown.
5. Add the ~250g chopped onion and the ~300g diced carrot. Fry 6–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and just golden.
6. Turn the heat **down to low**. Add the 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1 tsp smoked paprika, stir 20 seconds only — paprika goes bitter almost immediately.
7. Add the 3 tbsp tomato paste and fry it 1 minute, stirring, until it darkens from bright red to brick.
8. Drain the 300g lentils and tip them in. Add 900ml water and the crumbled bouillon cube, and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. **Do not salt yet** — the cube, the bacon and the cheese all bring salt, and you cannot take it back out.
9. Close the pressure cooker, bring to full pressure, cook **10 minutes** at pressure on low heat. Natural release, 10 minutes.
10. Open and taste a lentil. It should be tender but still whole. If it is still firm — quite possible with lentils this old — simmer open until it gives, adding water as needed.

**Pasta stage (lid off from here on):**

11. Add 600ml boiling water and bring the pot back to a proper boil. It should look far too thin at this point; the pasta will drink most of it.
12. Tip in the 250g broken spaghetti and cook uncovered at a lively simmer for 8–10 minutes (check the packet time and take 1 minute off), **stirring every minute or so** — broken pasta sinks and sticks to the bottom of a pressure cooker fast. Add a splash of hot water any time it stops being loose enough to stir.
13. When the pasta is al dente, take it off the heat. Season now: salt to taste, plenty of black pepper, ¼ tsp chili, 1 tsp dried parsley, and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
14. Let it stand 5 minutes uncovered. It thickens noticeably — aim for a spoon leaving a slow-closing trail. Loosen with hot water if it stiffens too far.

**Serving:**

15. Into 4 bowls. Crumble ~150g white brine cheese over the top (~40g per bowl) and finish each bowl with a raw drizzle from the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and a last grind of black pepper.

## Variations

> **Note:** Traditional pasta e lenticchie is meat-free, uses celery in the soffritto, and is finished with grated pecorino. We have neither celery nor pecorino, so the smoked bacon is doing the savoury work and the Bulgarian brine cheese the salty-sharp work. The brine cheese is wetter and saltier than pecorino — crumble it on at the table rather than stirring it in, and go easy on the salt in step 13.

> **Note:** For the authentic vegetarian version: skip the bacon, use 4 tbsp olive oil for the soffritto instead of 3, and add a second teaspoon of smoked paprika. The bouillon cube is chicken, so swap it for salt if you want it fully vegetarian.

> **Note:** The classic Neapolitan version uses mixed leftover pasta shapes (*pasta mista*). If breaking spaghetti annoys you, the fusili in food4 works just as well — cook it 1–2 minutes longer.

> **Note:** Lentils and pasta both keep absorbing water as it cools. Leftovers will be solid by morning; loosen with water and reheat gently rather than adding more oil.

## Items used from inventory

| Item | ID | Location | Status |
|------|-----|----------|--------|
| Şaban green lentils | `lentils-green-saban` | food2-box | EXPIRED bb:2026-07-31 (6d) |
| Garlic | `garlic-2026-07-08` | pantry-behind-stove | EXPIRED bb:2026-07-28 (9d) |
| Onions | `onions-2026-07-02` | pantry-behind-stove | EXPIRED bb:2026-08-01 (5d) |
| Smoked bacon | `bacon-smoked-2026-07-31` | pantry-fridge | bb:2026-08-14 (8d) |
| Carrots | `carrots-2026-07-10` | pantry-fridge | bb:2026-08-15 (9d) |
| Durum spaghetti | `spaghetti-lidl-0117` | food2-box | bb:2028-10-14 |
| Tomato paste (2× concentrate) | `Baresa ДОМАТЕНО ПЮРЕ` | food1 | bb:2028-05-11 |
| White brine cheese (сирене) | `cheese-nasheselo-2026-07-21` | pantry-fridge | bb:2027-02-02 |
| Chicken bouillon cubes | `Kania БУЛЬОН ПИЛЕШКИ` | F-01 | bb:2027 |
| Smoked paprika | `paprika-smoked-2026-06-21` | F-13 | bb:2028-03-06 |
| Dried parsley | `parsley-dried-2026-05-16` | F-13 | bb:2027-07-30 |
| Black pepper | `pepper-black-harmony` | F-13 | bb:2028 |
| Ground chili | `chili-aladham` | F-13 | bb:2027 |
| Coarse salt | `salt-coarse` | F-03 | bb:2031 |
| Extra virgin olive oil | `oliveoil-costadoro` | pantry-spice-stove | bb:2027 |
| Apple cider vinegar | `vinegar-paros` | pantry-spice-stove | bb:2029 |

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*Generated 2026-08-06 to use the 2026-07-31 lentils, the 2026-07-28 garlic, the 2026-08-01 onions, the carrots and one pack of the smoked bacon. No shopping.*