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Lentil and Pasta Soup
by Amy Delano
serves: 4
  Rustic vegetarian soup goes well with crusty Italian bread. by Jennie Fleetwood
Ingredients:
  3/4 cup   brown lentils
  3 cloves   garlic
  4 cups   water
  3 tbsp   olive oil
  2 tbsp   butter
  1   onion, finely chopped
  2 sticks   celery, finely chopped
  2 tbsp   sun-dried tomato paste
  7 1/2 cups   vegetable stock
    fresh basil leaves, few
    fresh marjoram leaves, few
  1 sprig   fresh thyme leaves
  1/2 cup   dried small pasta, macaroni or tubetti
    salt
    ground black pepper
Directions:
  Put the lentils in a large pan. Smash one of the garlic cloves using the blade of a large knife (there is no need to peel it first). Add to the lentils. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Tip the lentils into a sieve, remove the garlic and set aside. Rinse the lentils under the cold tap and leave to drain.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil with half of the butter in the pan. Add the onion and celery and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Crush the remaining garlic, then peel and mash the reserved garlic. Add to the pan with the remaining oil, the tomato paste and the lentils. Stir, then add the stock, herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta and bring the soup back to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta is just tender. Add the remaining butter to the pan and stir until melted. Taste the soup for seasoning, then serve hot in warmed bowls, sprinkled with herb leaves.