Imagine pasta with fresh tomato sauce.
Now accessorize the pasta with lentils and rice, all three of which have been toasted in butter and oil so they have a crunchy edge to them.
Ah. A halfway guilty pleasure (the tomato sauce being good-for-you) becomes a healthy meal. The lentils absorb guilt.The crispiness of the pasta and rice satisfies the need for something with a crunch to it. Voila! You don't have to eat crusty bread slathered with butter.
Tomato Sauce:
Use your favorite recipe for tomato sauce or use the LA Times recipe. If it's humanly possible, find locally grown tomatoes. In Egypt, you can find them at the local alley or corner or from a cart on the side of theroad.
Macaroni:
Cook up the pasta (say a quarter of a cup) and drain. The standard in Egypt is macaroni, but it's not as if you don't see a strands of spaghetti tracing their way throough the macaronis.
Now, put a tablespoon olive oil and one of ghee in another pan, add a teaspoon harissa and the macaroni and stir over medium heat until the pasta becomes crusty.
Lentils and rice:
While the pasta's cooking, cut up an onion and, in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, mixed with ghee, cook over medium, until the onions are translucent; 8-10 minutes
Toss in a a half cup of rice and a half cup of lential and, still over medium heat, for 7-10 minutes. The idea is to toast them, get that crunchy effect. Add a teaspoon of cumin and one of salt.
Next, pour in a cup and a half of water or broth, stir, turn the heat up high and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Sitr again, cover the pan, and let simmer for another 5-7 minutes until all the juice is absorbed and the lentils and rice start crackling.
Serve:
Mix in the macaroni and serve under the tomato sauce.
For more food: ful,mulukheyya , baladi bread.
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