Lentil and Macaroni Soup

Hey y'all - I'm back! Did you miss my weeklong hiatus? Oh, you didn't notice. Eh, it's ok I know you have a life to lead. I was in sunny Louisville for a work conference. Anyway, I'm back and excited to share this great pantry meal that I whipped up last night.

I want to weigh in on the current controversy the New York Times whipped up regarding ghost writers on celebrity chefs. The short of it is a woman reports that she is among an army of ghost writers who help bring cookbooks to print. This ruffled some feathers; most notably Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Ray who enthusiastically deny the use of a ghost writer to help develop recipes. I'd like to say that I've always assumed that Rachel Ray had help bringing her thousands of recipes to print. I'm confused at the denials. Am I alone here people?

Alright back to the soup. Speaking of ghost writers I used Giada deLaurentiis. Well actually, I used her lentil soup recipe as a starting point for mine. I glanced over her recipe and pulled together my soup based on what I had on hand and dumped in some additional as I felt like it. It was delicious!

It was a perfect soup for a drizzly and chilly day. I also adore ditalini pasta in soup because it reminds me of my childhood. Also, I had all of the items in my pantry or crisper in the fridge. It was so good Joel had two bowls!

Lentil Soup
Yields 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots, diced
2 medium onions, diced
3/4 lb dried lentils
14 oz. diced tomatoes
2/3 cup dried pasta (I used ditalini but elbow macaroni would work here too)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leafs
10-12 cups chicken stock or water

grated parmesan

Directions

Heat large soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil, carrots, and onions and sauté until softened. If you have celery that would be an excellent addition. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Toss lentils in mixture for a few minutes then add tomatoes including juices. Add remaining spices and toss for a minute. Add stock or water and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. Add pasta and cook for additional 10 minutes. Lentils and pasta should be cooked through.

Top soup grated parmesan to taste.

Enjoy!

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