Eggy Lentil Pasta

Directions

• Set a pot of water to boil. Salt the pasta water, cooking lentil pasta according to package instructions.
• Thinly slice the onion. Sauté it in a large pan with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and red chili flakes over medium heat.
• While sautéing the onion, mince the garlic and slice the green onions, separating the white and green parts. If desired, set aside some green slices to later top the finished pasta. You can add the garlic while sautéing the onion, but this is your call! The earlier you add the garlic – as in, the longer it cooks – the more mellow the garlic flavor. I like strong garlicky flavors, so I usually add garlic towards the end, when the pasta dish is almost done.
• After the onion has turned translucent or started to turn slightly golden in color (or even feel free to go towards caramelization, if that is what your pasta-loving heart desires), add the green peas and stir. Continue cooking. If your pan is too dry/things look like they may burn to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat and add a little more olive oil (or even a very small amount of water) if necessary.
• In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs with a pinch of salt.
• While doing all of this, keep an eye on how your lentil pasta is coming along. When it is done, drain it over a container to catch the pasta water! You will be adding some of this to back to your pasta dish.
• Once your reserved pasta water is ready, add the pasta and the white parts of the green onion to the pan with the onion and green peas and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Now could also be a good time to add the minced garlic if you have not yet done so.
• Start by adding about 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Then, add in the green parts of the onion and eggs and stir quickly, continuing to stir for a couple minutes. The eggs and pasta water will form a sort of sauce, almost scrambled egg-like. If it is looking too dry, add more of your reserved pasta water (I added about 1.5 cups total).
• After the eggs have cooked, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve pasta, topping with freshly cracked black pepper, any reserved slices of green onion, and parmesan cheese if using.