Maccheroni with cavolo nero and red lentils

The Boyfriend and I are moving in one month. Again. I remember saying to him that I wouldn't go anywhere for a while when we moved into the apartment we now live in. That was not even three years ago. And now things turned out differently at work than I ever expected, big and exciting (scary?) changes await and instead of me trying to find a new job in the town where we live now, he gave up his job and is looking for work in the town I've been commuting to for the last three years. Did I mention that I love him?

Moving, of course, equals the cleaning out of cupboards. We filled large bags with clothes to give to charity and are feasting on pulses like they're going out of fashion. Last week: Treberwurst (a large, ground-meat sausage with a local grappa-style spirit and raisins) with lentils, later this week: thai-scented sweet potato soup (featuring red lentils) and yesterday: maccheroni with cavolo nero and red lentils. We'll be ready to tackle the Beluga lentils by the beginning of next week.

Maccheroni with cavolo nero and red lentils (serves 4)

• 1 cavolo nero (a kind of cabbage often used in italian cooking)
  
• 1 small red onion
• 40g pancetta, diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 200g red lentils
• 200g maccheroni or other short pasta
• 1 stock cube
• water
• 10 cherry tomatoes (optional)
  
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut the leaves of the cabbage and chop them roughly. Boil them in salted water for 5 minutes, then drain. Finely chop the onion. In a very large and deep frying pan with a cover, gently fry the onion and pancetta in the olive oil. Add the tomato purée and fry for another minute, stirring continuously. Add the drained cabbage, red lentils, stock cube and add enough water to generously cover everything. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and the quartered cherry tomatoes if using and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is done. You might need to add more water. Check the seasoning and serve in deep plates with some grated cheese on top.