Italian Lentil Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 c. dried lentils
1 meaty ham bone
1 medium onion, chopped
2 qt. water
4 to 5 large garlic cloves
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 c. tomato puree
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 c. small pasta
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preparation

Place lentils, ham bone, onion and water in large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Turn off heat, cover pot and soak 1 hour.
Bring to a second boil and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender.
Remove ham bone and cut off chunks of meat , toss into pot and discard the bone.
Chop garlic and parsley together and add with tomato puree, olive oil and oregano to the pot.
Simmer on low for 30 minutes.