Chef Jacob Kenedy has shared two plant-based pasta dishes designed for cooler weather, emphasizing comfort and earthy flavors over the bright, light profiles often associated with summer cooking. The recipes, drawn from his new cookbook “Pasta Tricolore,” feature spaghetti with lentils and aubergine veggie-balls in a tomato sauce.
Spaghetti with lentils
Kenedy describes the lentil and spaghetti combination as a family favorite, noting that the earthiness of the lentils contrasts well with grassy olive oil and parsley. He categorizes the dish as true cucina povera, or humble cooking, which he finds deeply satisfying despite occasional skepticism from Italian diners.
The preparation begins by simmering 180g of small brown lentils, such as Castelluccio or Puy, with bay leaves in about 500ml of water. The lentils are cooked until completely tender and mushy, a process that takes approximately 45 minutes. Water is added as needed to ensure the lentils and liquid are level at the end of cooking.
While the lentils cook, 400g of dried spaghetti is boiled in abundant, well-salted water. Kenedy recommends frying four chopped garlic cloves in 5 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat until golden. The cooked lentils and a splash of pasta water are then added to the garlic and brought to a boil.
The pasta is drained while still slightly firmer than the desired final texture. It is then tossed in the lentil pan with 4 tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley, the remaining olive oil, and 50g of butter or additional olive oil. The mixture is stirred over high heat until the pasta reaches the preferred al dente stage and the sauce thickens through emulsification with pasta starch. The dish can be served with or without 60g of grated vegetarian parmesan.
Aubergine veggie-balls
The second recipe offers a vegetarian take on spaghetti and meatballs using aubergine polpette. Kenedy notes that the Italian word polpette refers to any minced or pulped balls, whether made from meat, fish, or vegetables. He prefers aubergine for its rich, velvety texture.
To prepare the balls, two large aubergines (totaling 1kg) are pricked and roasted at 220C for one hour until tender. After cooling, the flesh is peeled and drained under a weight for an hour to remove excess moisture, yielding roughly 230g of drained aubergine. This flesh is chopped finely and mixed with one beaten egg, 100g of grated vegetarian parmesan or pecorino, 100g of dried breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 1 tbsp each of chopped mint and basil, one crushed garlic clove, and seasoning.
The mixture is formed into walnut-sized balls, coated in plain flour, and fried in olive oil until golden brown. Kenedy suggests either deep-frying at 180C for four minutes or shallow-frying in 1cm of oil, turning occasionally.
The accompanying sauce is made by frying two thinly sliced garlic cloves in 4 tbsp of olive oil until the edges just begin to color. Chilli flakes can be added for heat. 800g of chopped tomatoes are then added, seasoned with salt and pepper, and simmered over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until slightly thickened with oil rising to the surface.
For the final assembly, the fried aubergine balls are simmered in the tomato sauce for five to 10 minutes. 400g of spaghetti is cooked and drained. The sauce and balls are poured over the pasta along with 3 tbsp of olive oil and 12 torn basil leaves. The dish is tossed gently and served on warmed plates with 80g of grated vegetarian pecorino.
These recipes are an edited extract from “Pasta Tricolore: Recipes in Green, White and Red” by Jacob Kenedy, published by Bloomsbury.
Source: The Guardian
