TOMATO AND LENTIL STEW

TOMATO AND LENTIL STEW image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 cups / 14 ounces brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over 1 1/2 cups water
1 onion, cut in half
3 to 4 garlic cloves, to taste, minced
A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and if desired, a Parmesan rind
Salt to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds tomatoes, cut in wedges if you have a food mill, seeded and grated if you don't
¼ teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
1 or 2 basil sprigs, plus 2 to 4 tablespoons slivered basil (to taste)
Freshly grated Parmesan for topping

Steps:

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, water, onion, half the garlic, and bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs, remove onion and bouquet garni. Meanwhile, make tomato sauce in a separate pan. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. When it smells fragrant but before it browns, after about 30 seconds of sizzling, add tomatoes and stir together. Add sugar, salt, and basil sprigs and turn heat to medium-high so tomatoes come to a brisk simmer. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to thick, fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Remove basil sprigs. If using unpeeled tomatoes and a food mill, put sauce through fine blade of the mill. Add tomato sauce to lentils, stir together, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick, a stew rather than a soup. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in slivered basil. Serve in wide bowls and sprinkle Parmesan over each serving if desired.