Lentil and Pasta Stew -- Finding Comfort in the Pantry During a Vermont Lockdown Spring

April arrived and Vermont was locked down tight. The governor's order made official what had already become our new reality — no visitors, no gatherings, no driving to the hardware store on a whim. I stood at my kitchen window on the first of the month and watched a light snow fall on the garden beds I'd been planning to turn, the flakes settling on last year's dead stalks. Fifty-nine years old when I got married, and I never once imagined a spring like this one.

The thing about isolation is that it forces you to look at what you actually have in the house. I found dried lentils I'd forgotten about, a bag of farro from some cooking kick I'd been on last year, canned tomatoes from the garden put up in August. I made a pot of lentil soup that lasted three days, which suited me fine. There's a satisfaction in using what's on hand that grocery abundance never quite delivers.

Sarah calls every night at eight. We've been doing it for three weeks now and it's become the hinge of my day — the moment I work toward. Last night she told me the boys had made a blanket fort and refused to come out for dinner. I told her to bring the food into the fort. She laughed and said that was exactly what she did. Teddy ate two helpings of mac and cheese in there. You find your ways.

The maple operation wrapped up just as the lockdown solidified, which in hindsight was lucky — I had the season to anchor me while the world dissolved. Now the sugar house sits quiet. I walked out to it yesterday just to have somewhere to go. The smell of woodsmoke still lingers in the rafters. I boiled a pan of maple syrup down to candy, poured it onto snow in the old-fashioned way, and ate it standing at the door. Sweet and cold and absolutely right for the moment.

That first pot of lentil soup I threw together from what was on hand got me thinking about doing it properly — with pasta to make it a full meal, and the kind of slow-building flavor you get when you’re not in any particular hurry. I had the time, after all, and the quiet. This Lentil and Pasta Stew is the recipe I landed on: humble ingredients, nothing you have to drive anywhere to find, and a depth of warmth that made the silence in the house feel a little less heavy.

Lentil and Pasta Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 cup small pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
• Parmesan rind (optional, adds depth during simmering)

Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add lentils and tomatoes. Stir in the rinsed lentils and the canned tomatoes with their juices. Toss in the Parmesan rind if using. Stir to combine everything well.
3. Add broth and simmer. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are nearly tender.
4. Cook the pasta. Stir in the pasta and increase heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and the stew has thickened. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind if used.
5. Season and serve. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 11g | Sodium: 480mg