Middle Eastern Pasta With Lentils

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this lentil dish. It is, however, warming and comforting to eat on a cold winter's night. If it's not spicy enough for you, serve with harissa or zhoug to add a bit of zing.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb brown lentils or 1⁄2 lb green lentil, washed and picked over
• 3  cups water
• 1  bay leaf
•  salt
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 2  onions, chopped
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1  teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1  pinch cayenne pepper
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 12  ounces spaghetti or 12  ounces tagliatelle pasta noodles
• 2  tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

Directions

1. Combine the lentils, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
3. Add salt to taste toward the end of the cooking.
4. Drain off most of the liquid, but reserve it in case some is needed later.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and sauté the onions until tender and beginning to color.
6. Add the garlic, coriander, and cumin, and continue to sauté a couple of minutes, stirring.
7. Stir this mixture into the lentils and add cayenne and black pepper to taste.
8. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt to taste, and cook the noodles until al dente.
9. Drain and add to the lentils.
10. Add the yogurt, and toss together.
11. Add some of the reserved lentil cooking water if mixture seems too dry.
12. Reheat gently if necessary and serve at once.