Lentils Diavolo

By Ali Slagle

Updated March 12, 2024

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(2,353)
Comments
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Lentils, like beans, soak up whatever flavors they’re cooked in. Here, it’s a chile oil made with both dried and fresh chiles, so it’s devilishly spiced — not just spicy. Simmer the lentils in the potent oil and some tomato paste until they’re glossy and tender, rich and spicy as you’d expect from a diavolo-style sauce. (Add more water if you’re after more of a quasi-chili.) Eat the lentils with a spray of lemon juice, parsley and-or bread crumbs on toast, grains, pasta, a sweet potato, bitter greens or all on their own. The lentils will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge; reheat over low heat or in the microwave loosened with a little water.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 jalapeño, halved, seeded if desired, and finely chopped

  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

52 grams carbs; 401 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 262 milligrams sodium; 19 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the jalapeño, garlic, paprika, black pepper and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Add the lentils, and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook until the lentils are soft and the water has mostly evaporated, 30 to 35 minutes. If they are looking dry at any point, add a little hot water. Season with the salt and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,353 user ratings
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Comments

Gary Brownell

They should really change the instruction relating to 1 1/2 inches of water. First, as evidenced in the comments, it's not clear whether that means 1 1/2 inches over the lentils or 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the pot. Second, the volume of water included in the 1 1/2 inches is dependent on the diameter of the pot. 1 1/2 inches of water in a 9 inch diameter pot is much more water than 1 1/2 inches of water in a 7 inch diameter pot.

Ray

My experience with lentils shows that tomato paste should be added after the lentils have cooked. The acidity of the tomatoes toughens the skin of the lentils. Maybe why users had to cook lentils longer to achieve right mouth feel.

anne chaney

I have a pot of these cooling on my stove right now. Made recipe exactly as written. They have great promise as a staple in our house. I think the dish may be missing a deep flavor note and I next time I may add a spoonful of miso or soy sauce or even veg bouillon paste. Salt doesn’t do enough. I plan to serve this with lemon and chopped overpriced mint as a side for ras el hanut lamb chops, rice and maybe some plain yogurt.

Jesse

This is a pretty good base for a potentially very good meal. I added potatoes, carrots, and an orange bell pepper to the recipe. I oven-roasted the potatoes in the same spice mixture and added to the pot about 5 min before the lentils were done. I sauteed the carrots and bell pepper with the jalapeno and everything turned out... pretty good. The flavor is lacking a little something. Maybe swapping the water for broth and adding some leeks or onions or some additional spices might do the trick.

Jeff

I made this for supper last night, served over baked sweet potatoes, with broccoli on the side. I used a whole can of tomato paste, and as suggested by others, added a glug of both soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. After the lentils cooled down, I added about a tablespoon of white miso. I thought the taste was excellent. One of the very few times I've been able to say that about a recipe.

Jeff

Used chicken stock in place of water; upped the jalapeno, garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste; and added balsamic as another user recommended. Turned out very solid, and was easy to make. Didn't have any issues with the water--just monitored them as they cooked and added as needed. It ended up being 5-6 cups or so.

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