Pasta with Lentils, Syrian style (Horaa Esbao) | حراق اصبعه ("Finger Burner")
A delicious way to make pasta with lentils, Syrian style, infused with the flavors of cilantro, sumac, and pomegranate molasses! Topped with crunchy pita chips and crispy caramelized onions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 6 cups water
- 8-10 oz. pasta I like orecchiette
- 1 large yellow onion sliced into rings/strips
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- 2 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup cilantro chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Pita Chips
- 2 pita rounds
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse and drain lentils. Put lentils in a pot with the water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for for 20-30 minutes, until just cooked or al dente. (Note: The level of water should remain above the lentils throughout. Add more water ½ cup at a time if this is not the case.)
- Separate pita rounds with a knife so that they are only one layer thick. Cut the rounds into small squares and toss in olive oil and salt. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until crispy.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onions in a mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they are crispy, caramelized, and browned on the edges. This will take about 20 mins.
- Add sumac, dried mint, salt, and dry pasta to the pot with the lentils and liquid in it, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. There should be enough liquid left in the pot to cook the pasta. Cook pasta with the lentils for the time specified on the package, I cooked my orrecchiette for about 12 minutes, until al dente.
- Drain caramelized onions, reserving remaining oil, and place onions on a plate lined with paper towels. Add half of onions to the pasta and lentil mixture and reserve the remaining onions for topping.
- Sauté cilantro and garlic until fragrant in the remaining oil, 2-3 minutes. Add half to pasta and lentil mixture, and reserve the remainder for topping.
- Add lemon juice and pomegranate molasses to the pasta and lentils.
- Serve hot, topped with the remaining cilantro and garlic, crispy onions, and pita chips. Drizzle with some extra pomegranate molasses, sprinkle with sumac, and serve with lemon if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 20gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 609mgPotassium: 655mgFiber: 17gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 229IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 5mg
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