🛒 Ingredients

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. 1

   Start by giving the lentils a good rinse under cold running water. Soak them in a bowl of cold water for about 2 hours – this helps them rehydrate and cook more quickly.

2. 2

   While the lentils are soaking, get your vegetables ready. Clean the wild fennel by discarding the tougher stalks, keeping just the fronds and tender tips, then roughly chop.

3. 3

   Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and stringy bits, then chop the flesh into even-sized cubes to ensure they cook evenly.

4. 4

   Wash the celery heart, including its tender leaves, and finely chop everything. Peel and finely chop the carrot and onion too. Wash, dry, and roughly chop the parsley.

5. 5

   Score the tomato skins and blanch them for a few seconds to make peeling easier. Remove the skins, scoop out excess seeds, and chop the flesh into irregular pieces.

6. 6

   Heat a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley and gently soften over a low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden.

7. 7

   Add the butternut squash cubes to the softened veg and let them soak up the flavours for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon so the squash becomes fragrant.

8. 8

   Drain the lentils and rinse quickly, then add them to the pan along with the chopped wild fennel. Stir together and cook for 2–3 minutes to meld the flavours.

9. 9

   Now add the chopped tomatoes, stir once more, and cover with enough water to reach about 7cm above the lentils and vegetables – you’re aiming for a consistency that’s comfortably soupy.

10. 10

    Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid slightly ajar. Cook until the lentils are tender and the squash almost falls apart, topping up with hot water little by little if the soup reduces too much.

11. 11

    Once the lentils are cooked, season with Trapani sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If needed, add a little more water to ensure there’s enough liquid for the pasta to cook in.

12. 12

    Bring the soup back to the boil, stir in the pasta and cook according to the pack instructions, stirring frequently to stop it sticking to the bottom.

13. 13

    When the pasta is cooked, check the consistency: if you prefer a brothier soup, loosen with a ladle of hot water; if you like it thicker, let it rest a few minutes off the heat.

14. 14

    Serve the lentil, squash, and wild fennel soup piping hot, drizzled with a good glug of Sicilian extra virgin olive oil and a final crack of black pepper.