Bavette with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes and Onions

 

This recipe was inspired by Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce that I just saw today. I new I wanted to do something with Pasta and Lentils, but the thought of tomatoes roasting in the oven was just too irresistible.

You need quite a lot pans and pots for this, or at least more than I normally use on a normal weekday. First I wanted to slowly brown the onions in a skillet, but then I decided to just throw them in with the tomatoes and the garlic.

 They got soft and mild in flavor in the oven, rather sweet too. Just like the garlic.

I used two types of lentils because I loved how it looked, but the red ones kind of lose their color and turn a less interesting brown.

Bavette with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes and Onions

2 Tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
a sprig of rosemary
4 tablespoons lentils, I used a mix of regular brown lentils and little red lentils
pasta (about 250g)
salt, pepper and olive oil

Oil a baking dish lightly with olive oil. Cut the tomatoes into about 1cm thick slices. Place them on the dish, sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and salt. Add the garlic cloves, the shallots (both whole) and the rosemary and put them in the oven at about 180°C for about half an hour. In the meantime, cook your lentils according to the directions on the bag (for about 20 minutes, until tender). Put another pot with water (for the pasta) and bring to a boil. Add salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. For bavette this should take around 10 minutes, but I usually just try them often and do not watch the clock. Just before the pasta is done, take the roasted tomatoes out of the oven, pull the outer layers of the shallots and cut the tender parts in pieces. Do the same with the garlic and cut the tomato slices in to 2 or 4 pieces. Put that all on the drained pasta, season with salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil. Mix and serve.

Serves 2.