About the Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Bonacci EVOO
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 medium carrots, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
15oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1 1/2 cups dried French green lentils
2 bay leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
5 cups water
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
6 cups cooked mix beans
Preparation
Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant and tomato juices begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon garlic. Let mixture stand 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup oil, and season with salt to taste.
Add beans, remaining 4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. If needed, stir in additional water to thin stew. Cook over low, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through and lentils are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon gremolata over servings of stew.
Notes: double the gremolata ingredients and add in just enough oil to combine, the recipe calls for a little too much.