Neapolitan-style Pasta with Lentils - Untested

https://memoriediangelina.com/2025/01/18/pasta-e-lenticchie/

These with tomato

https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Pasta-e-lenticchie.html

https://blog.giallozafferano.it/martanoskitchen/pasta-e-lenticchie-nere-della-tuscia/

A Neapolitan-style pasta and lentil dish — simple, austere, and deeply comforting. The resting step is not optional; it is the technique.

Serves 4. 

250g (8 oz) French lentils, soaked overnight if possible (see Note)

4 cups water

Olive oil

1–2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, thinly sliced across the grain

1–2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

250g (8 oz) linguine, broken into short lengths of 4–5 cm, or another short pasta (see Note)

Salt

To serve:

Good olive oil, for finishing

Combine the lentils, the water, the garlic, bay leaf, a drizzle of olive oil, and a small pinch of salt and a pot.

Bring to a boil and when it reaches a full boil, reduce immediately to a gentle simmer.

Cook partially covered for 25–40 minutes if soaked, or 45–65 minutes if unsoaked. Check doneness by pressing a lentil between two fingers — it should crush completely with no chalky or grainy resistance at the centre. The lentils should have absorbed most but not all of the liquid by the end, leaving you with something closer to a thick, cohesive stew than a soup. As they near tenderness, smash a quarter to a third of the lentils against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.

Note: Smashing a portion of the lentils releases starch from the broken cells and thickens the surrounding liquid without pureeing everything. The result is a sauce that clings to the pasta rather than pooling beneath it — the same principle as mashing a few beans into a minestrone.

Top up with hot water from time to time if needed to keep things moist. Do not let the pot run dry.

2. Sauté the onions — begin when the lentils are roughly halfway done.

In a separate pan, warm a generous drizzle of olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced onion and crushed garlic. Cook very gently, adding a few drops of water whenever the pan looks dry, for 20–30 minutes. You are not aiming for browning: the onion should turn completely translucent, collapse in volume by roughly half, and soften to the point where the individual strands are almost indistinct. Season with a small pinch of salt partway through.

Note: Slicing the onion thinly across the grain — that is, perpendicular to the length of the onion — cuts through the long fibrous strands rather than following them. Shorter fibres soften and dissolve far more readily. The goal is for the onion to disappear into the dish as a flavour rather than a texture.

When the onions are done, add them to the simmering lentils and stir through.

3. Cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously — it should taste pleasantly seasoned, not aggressively salty, since the pasta cooking water will be added to the lentils. Add the broken pasta and cook until it is noticeably underdone: 2–3 minutes short of the packet time, firm with clear resistance at the centre when bitten. Reserve a large ladleful (about 200 ml) of pasta cooking water before draining.

4. Combine and rest — this step is the technique.

Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the pot with the lentils and onions. Pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir everything well, taste carefully, and adjust salt. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave it to rest undisturbed for a minimum of 1 hour. If you can make it in the morning for an evening meal, do so.

Note: During the resting period, the pasta continues to absorb the lentil broth and releases more surface starch into the surrounding liquid. The starches from both the pasta and the smashed lentils bind together as they cool slightly, producing a thick, cohesive texture that is impossible to achieve by serving immediately. The onion flavour, already very mild from slow cooking, continues to diffuse and mellow into the background. This is the step that separates this dish from a simple pasta-with-lentils and makes it something else entirely.

5. Reheat and serve.

When ready to eat, add a small ladleful of water and warm the pot gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is pleasantly warm through — not scalding. Add more water to loosen if it has become too thick for your taste. Taste once more and adjust salt. Serve in bowls with a thread of good olive oil over each portion.

Notes on ingredients

Lentils: Soaking overnight shortens cooking time by 20–30 minutes and leaches some of the oligosaccharides responsible for digestive discomfort. That said, modern lentils cook reliably without soaking — just allow the longer time range. Brown or green lentils are the best choice here; they hold their shape better than red lentils and have more flavour. Castelluccio or Puy lentils are excellent if you want to go further, but plain brown lentils are what the original recipe used and they are entirely right for this dish.

Pasta: Linguine broken into short lengths is traditional in this Neapolitan version. Broken spaghetti works if linguine is hard to find. Ditali, tubetti, or risoni (orzo) are all common alternatives and require no breaking. Pasta mista — the mixed odds and ends collected from several open packets, with any long shapes broken short — is also traditional and a good use of what you have.

Seasoning: Three separate components are salted (lentils, onions, pasta water), which means the risk of over-salting is real. Go conservatively at each stage and taste carefully after combining. It is easy to add salt; it is impossible to take it out.

Roasted Acorn Squash Cornbread - Untested

Other Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/roasted-squash-cornbread

https://anitaliandish.com/2023/02/03/winter-squash-skillet-cornbread/

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 35 min 

1 cup pureed roasted acorn squash (about 1 medium squash)

1 ½ cups cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)

1 cup milk (or water, for a more traditional, dairy-free approach)

2 large eggs

¼ cup melted butter or sunflower oil

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Optional sweetener: 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey 

1. Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds, and roast face down on a baking sheet for 45 minutes or until tender. Scoop out 1 cup of flesh and mash it well or puree it. 
2. Prepare Oven/Pan: Lower oven temperature to 375°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish or a cast-iron skillet. 
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. 
4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed acorn squash, milk, eggs, maple syrup (if using), and melted butter/oil. 
5. Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. 
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Ooopsie Crackers - Testing

I sometimes make mistakes. This time I was making one of my Commons breads, and I forgot to add the yeast. I could tell because 24hrs later, still no bubbles. This is a potential save.

1 - This is really good! I need to even out my rolling, and a full recipe of the bread dough makes a lot!!! I made a half recipe but used the same amount of flour as for a full recipe, so there's that. The dough is still very sticky but putting down a lot of flour when rolling seems to work. I lightly brushed with olive oil and sprinkled on salt and it was good stuff!

Yeast-less dough base

120 (maybe 240?) g flour

30 g olive oil or melted butter

2–4 g salt (to taste)

1. Mix everything until cohesive. You want a firmer dough than the flatbread — not sticky.
2. Allow the dough to rest 20–30 minutes, which helps with rolling. 
3. Divide into 2–3 pieces and roll each piece very thin, as thin as possible (1–2 mm), almost translucent.
4. Prick all over with a fork.
5. Optional toppings: flaky salt, sesame seeds, cracked pepper, herbs
6. Bake 355°F for 12–18 minutes depending on thickness. Rotate tray halfway to ensure even baking.
7. Cool fully - be patient, they crisp up as they cool.

What to expect:

Snappy, lightly sour crackers with a deep, almost cultured flavour.

Tangy Skillet Flatbreads (naan-ish) - Test 1

1 - Still not fully satisfied. The warm bread was still too doughy (I think I need to make it even thinner) and it had a very floral taste. I'll see what it's like when it's cold.

2 - This worked so well! I halved the recipe, used 4g of instant yeast and a lot more flour. I also scooped out a little of the dough base and whisked it in a little water to loosen it up before adding the yeast to help it dissolve a bit before mixing it into the bread. It has that Naan texture! And I could totally imagine using it to make Aloo Naan, a favorite of ours. I did roll it out pretty thin, too, much more thin than the first batch. And it puffed a little like the flour tortillas do, but to a lesser degree.

Commons Bread recipe (your choice) WITHOUT the yeast and AFTER it has sat for 12-24 hours.

Add:

3–5 g instant yeast (¾–1¼ tsp) (optional but recommended)

60–100 160g all-purpose flour (for structure)

10–15 g oil or melted butter (optional, for softness)

OPTIONAL - herbs of your choice, fresh or dry

1. Sprinkle yeast over your dough, mix well.
2. Add 60 g flour first, mix, then add more only if still very loose.
3. You’re aiming for a soft, slightly tacky dough, not sticky batter.
4. Cover and rest 45–60 minutes. It won’t double — just a bit of puff is enough.
5. Turn onto a floured surface.
6. Divide into 8–10 pieces (~90–110 g each?).
7. To shape, gently flatten and roll thin (3–5 mm).
8. Don’t overwork — the dough will be a bit relaxed/fragile.
9. In a hot dry pan (cast iron ideal), cook 1–2 min per side until bubbles form, and brown spots appear.
10. To finish, brush with butter or oil and sprinkle with salt and or herbs

Cook’s Spread - Untested

Made using spent aromatics for things like braising (see Langue de porc braisée au vin rouge). Use as a pâté.

Your poached onion, carrot, celery (well-drained)

1–2 tbsp butter or bacon fat (or a mix)

1–2 tsp mustard or a splash of vinegar

Salt (careful if the braise was already seasoned)

Black pepper

Optional lift:

garlic (fresh or from the dish)

chopped parsley

a tiny splash of red wine

1. Drain well
2. Press out excess liquid—this matters or it’ll be watery.
3. Chop or mash
4. Rough chop for a coarse texture
5. Or mash for something closer to a spread
6. Warm gently with fat
7. Heat butter or bacon fat, add veg, cook 3–5 minutes
8. → this step brings back aroma and richness
9. Season + brighten
10. Add mustard or vinegar
11. Taste → adjust salt/pepper
12. Finish
13. Stir in herbs if using
14. Serve warm or room temp

What it becomes (texture spectrum)

Chunky → side dish / spoonable accompaniment

Smooth → spread / toast topping

Looser → almost a rustic sauce

Recipe Name Ideas (choose your vibe)

Old-world / French countryside feel

Potager Cook’s Paste

Peasant Mirepoix Spread

After-Pot Vegetable Pâté

Kitchen Hearth Relish

Second Pot Paste

Butcher’s table / nose-to-tail energy

Butcher’s Aromatic Mash

Tongue-Pot Relish

Charcutier’s Vegetable Paste

Stockpot Spread

Simple / modern / accessible

Savory Veg Spread

Rustic Veg Mash

Kitchen Scrap Spread (honest and kind of great)

Deep Flavour Veg Paste

Homemade Roots Divino Bianco - Untested

Homemade Roots Divino Bianco (NA Vermouth) A crisp, herbal non-alcoholic white vermouth inspired by ancient Greek herbal remedies — lemon, thyme, rosemary, and a gentle bitterness from wormwood.

Ingredients (makes ~600ml, ~12 servings of 50ml)

• 500ml dealcoholized white wine (dry, neutral — e.g. Leitz or Ariel)
• 100ml water
• 60g sugar
• 30ml fresh lemon juice
• 3 strips lemon zest (no pith)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp dried wormwood (artemisia absinthium)
• ½ tsp dried gentian root
• ½ tsp dried oregano

---

Method

1. Make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves — you'll see the liquid go from slightly cloudy to completely clear (2–4 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.

Note: Dissolving sugar in warm water rather than adding it cold ensures even distribution and prevents graininess in the finished vermouth. The syrup must be fully cooled before combining with the wine, or it will slightly cook off the more delicate aromatic compounds.

2. Infuse the botanicals. In a clean glass jar, combine the dealcoholized wine with the lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, wormwood, gentian, and oregano. Seal and leave to infuse at room temperature. Taste every 30 minutes. The infusion is ready when it is pleasantly herbal and lightly bitter — usually 1 to 2 hours. Stop as soon as it tastes right to you; do not push further.

Note: Wormwood (artemisia absinthium) and gentian root are both intensely bitter due to sesquiterpene lactones and iridoid glycosides respectively. These compounds extract quickly in liquid — far faster than, say, vanilla or citrus peel. This is why tasting every 30 minutes is the real instruction here, not the time range.

Note: The lemon zest releases limonene and other aromatic oils from its surface cells almost immediately. The white pith beneath contains naringin, which is harsh and astringent — this is why zest strips with no pith are specified.

3. Strain. Once the flavor is where you want it, pour the infusion through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean bottle or jar. Press the herbs gently to extract the last of the liquid, then discard the solids.

4. Finish and adjust. Stir in the cooled simple syrup and lemon juice. Taste carefully and adjust: more lemon juice if it needs brightness, a little more syrup if the bitterness is too sharp, a splash more wine if it feels too concentrated. The target balance is lightly sweet, gently sour, and pleasantly bitter — none of the three should dominate.

Note: The lemon juice serves two roles here: flavour (brightness, citrus lift) and chemistry. The citric acid lowers the pH slightly, which helps preserve the aromatic compounds and extends shelf life without any alcohol to act as a preservative.

5. Bottle and chill. Pour into a sealed bottle and refrigerate immediately. Ready to use straight away. Keeps for up to 2 weeks — after which the more delicate aromatics begin to fade.

---

LHSS Score

Category	Weight	Score	Weighted	Notes
Greens / Cruciferous / Bitters	25%	6 / 10	1.50	Wormwood, rosemary, and thyme are bitter and phytonutrient-rich, but this is a condiment — a 50ml serving delivers only trace amounts of plant material. Scored for the bitter botanical presence, not volume.
Alliums	15%	0 / 10	0.00	None.
Pulses + Fibre	20%	0 / 10	0.00	None. This is a flavouring agent, not a fibre source.
Fat Quality	15%	10 / 10	1.50	Zero fat of any kind.
Dairy Density	10%	10 / 10	1.00	No dairy.
Salt Load	5%	10 / 10	0.50	No added salt whatsoever.
Spice / Phytonutrients	10%	9 / 10	0.90	Thyme, rosemary, oregano, wormwood, gentian, lemon zest — a genuinely rich botanical profile. Wormwood and gentian in particular are among the most potent bitter digestive herbs used historically.
LHSS TOTAL	100%	5.40 / 10		Scored honestly as a condiment/aperitif, not a meal component. The score reflects what a 50ml serving actually delivers — trace botanicals, no fibre, no alliums, no pulses. Within its category (flavouring agent / drink base), it is excellent: zero fat, zero dairy, zero salt, and a strong phytonutrient profile.

LDL note: No meaningful LDL relevance in either direction at a 50ml serving size. The botanical profile — wormwood, gentian, rosemary, thyme — is anti-inflammatory and digestively supportive, which is a mild positive. The sugar content (roughly 5g per 50ml serving) is low and unremarkable. This is a good substitute for an alcoholic aperitif, which would carry far more metabolic cost.

Mogette Plate - Untested

A classic Vendée plate — mogettes in broth, perfumed with salt pork, with sharp greens and bread to soak it all up.

1 recipe Mogette de Vendée

60–80 g salt pork (lard salé / poitrine salée)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

Bitter greens for salad (arugula, frisee, etc), or braised greens

Vinaigrette or vinegar, to dress the greens

A modest slice of bread, to serve

1. Make the Mogette de Vendée recipe; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, place the pork in a small pot and cover with cold water. 
3. Bring just to a boil - look for the moment when you see a full, rolling boil across the surface — vigorous bubbles breaking continuously, then immediately drain and rinse. 
4. Slice the blanched pork thickly — coins or short batons, about 1 to 1.5 cm. Add to the mogettes for the last 20–25 minutes of cooking, letting it gently perfume the broth without dissolving into fat.
5. Prepare the greens. Either dress a bitter green salad simply with vinaigrette, or lightly steam or braise chard, kale, or cabbage and finish with a splash of vinegar. Keep it sharp — this is the counterpoint to the rich, yielding beans.
6. Assemble and serve. Ladle the mogettes into a bowl with plenty of their light broth. Stir in the vinegar. Arrange the pork pieces alongside — not mixed through. Serve the greens on the side with a modest slice of bread for soaking up the broth.

With bread (as specified):

🟢 7.8 / 10 — Solidly within LHSS “green zone”

Without bread:

🟢 8.4 / 10 — Exceptionally liver-gentle