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ٍRushtaieh

رُشتَية

Savoury Lentils and Pasta with Pomegranate Molasses and Toppings

Rushtayeh is a simple, affordable vegan dish made with pasta and lentils, that we eat during lent. There are multiple toppings you can mix and match — let your imagination be your guide. My parents typically divided the dish into quadrants: one for fried pita, one for crispy caramelized onions, one for an onion-parsley mixture, and one for pomegranate seeds. As kids, making rushtayeh allowed us to dream up endless patterns. We always looked forward to decorating our dishes.  

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Lentils:

  • 2 yellow onions, finely chopped 
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 cups dried split red lentils
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2½ tbsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 10½ cups boiling water
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Macaroni:

  • 5 cups boiling water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni

Onion Parsley Topping:

  • 2 red onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley 
  • 3 tbsp ground sumac
  • ½ tsp salt

Fried Bread Topping:

  • 2 pita breads, cubed and/or cut into triangles
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Caramelized Onions Toppings:

  • 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Pomegranate Topping:

  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add onions, and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, salt, black pepper, and turmeric, and cook, continuing to stir, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add lentils and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high. Pour in the boiling water, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently, until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
  3. In a separate saucepan with boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and then add to the lentil mixture.
  4. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and cook for 5 minutes more.
  5. Divide the mixture among bowls and let cool to room temperature.
  6. To make pita topping: season the pita bread with the cumin and salt. Deep fry the pita bread in vegetable oil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and let drain.
  7. To make onion parsley topping: In a bowl, stir together red onions, parsley, salt, and sumac.
  8. To make caramelized onion topping: In a separate bowl, sprinkle yellow onions with the salt, let stand for 30 minutes, then squeeze out any excess moisture. Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and let drain until crunchy.
  9. To decorate each plate, sprinkle sumac in a cross pattern on top of the bowls of lentils and pasta. Arrange toppings in quarters (or your preferred pattern) overtop. Serve at room temperature.