I stole this idea from some ancient episode of Molto Mario and can now make it so quickly it would qualify for a spot on Rachael Ray. Plus it's healthy and you can make it vegetarian or vegan (suitable for the Skinny Bitches).
Seriously, this recipe can do no wrong. Here's the non-veg version. But for the meatless, it's pretty obvious to leave out the bacon/ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Sautee a diced onion and one to three cloves of garlic in olive oil in a big pot. While that's going, rinse between one half and a whole bag of lentils.
Add diced pancetta/ham/bacon and let it brown. Then throw in a couple of teaspoons of dried rosemary (or French thyme works well too) or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Sautee until you really smell the rosemary and then throw in the lentils and stir. (This is also a good time to throw in other chopped veggies if you're getting rid of stuff -- zucchini, carrots, squash work well.) Add salt and pepper. Let that all sizzle for a few minutes.
Add one carton of broth (chicken or vegetable) or add enough water to cover the lentils mixture and then some. If you don't have broth, just fill the pot with water and add a bouillon cube. Let simmer until the lentils are done (doesn't take long, they're small). This should still be watery. If not, add some more water. Then add, like, a cup to a cup and a half of a tiny pasta -- tubettini, orzo, shells, macaroni, whatever.
When the pasta is nearly al dente, stir in a can of diced tomatoes. You can also add some greens here if you need to up the leafies in the night's meal. Add another round of salt and pepper to taste.
The whole thing thickens so that it's not quite a soup. Pull out the rosemary sprigs if they're still in there. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan if that's your thing. Make plenty because this stuff is even better the next day (though the pasta gets a little bloaty).
