Lentil-Orzo Casserole

2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs dried minced onion
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried orzo
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1) In large saucepan, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium heat. Add onions and carrots; cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
2) Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, 30 to 60 seconds. Add lentils and thyme; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, 25 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 350F. Coat deep 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer lentil mixture to prepared casserole. Add pasta, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste; mix with rubber spatula. Pour in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Cover with foil and bake until lentils and orzo are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover and stir to redistribute ingredients.
4) In small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, parsley and remaining 1 Tbs oil. Spread over dish and bake uncovered until bubbly and top is crusty, 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

Review: I had leftover lentils and carrots from Thanksgiving, so this was another "leftover" dish, I guess you could say. It was super yummy, and THICK. We added Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb topping, which made it even better. We had lots of food, mostly because I also doubled the lentil and orzo amounts. It's a great winter dish, though. Mmmmmm

Made again on 2/21/2011.  However, this time I used 2 cans of lentils (including the juice), a whole box of whole wheat orzo, kept the juices with the canned tomatoes, and reduced the broth to 1 cup.  I dumped everything (except the breadcrumb topping) into a big bowl and mixed it.  I then tossed it into the casserole dish, and left out the boiling hot water.  I then cooked as instructed (covered for 25 minutes) and then did step 4.  It turned out just as great as the first time, everything was cooked, but I shaved about an hour off my cooking and prepping time!