Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
Lentils and mushrooms are cooked in a rich, aromatic tomato sauce and served with al dente spaghetti. A rich, hearty classic that is sure to please everyone around the dinner table.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 10 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 4 garlic cloves crushed and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
- 150 mls red wine
- Two 400g tins of good quality plum tomatoes
- 200 g dried green lentils well rinsed and drained
- 1 litre vegetable stock made using 1 stock cube
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 400 g dried spaghetti
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To rehydrate the porcini mushrooms, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to soften for 15 minutes.
- Finely chop the onion, carrot and garlic cloves. In a large casserole dish, heat the oil over a low heat. Add the onion and carrot and sweat for 8-10 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the chopped garlic, rosemary, oregano and tomato paste and sauté for a minute.
- Meanwhile, drain the porcini mushrooms and slice into thin pieces. Add the porcini and chestnut mushrooms to the pan and stir through for a further minute.
- Now increase the heat to moderate-high and pour in the wine. Allow to reduce over 2-3 minutes.
- Next pour 2 tins of 400g plum tomatoes into a separate bowl and use a pair of scissors to chop into small chunks. Add these to the dish along with the lentils, vegetable stock, salt and sugar.
- Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, checking periodically to add water if the sauce starts to look dry.
- In the final 10 minutes begin to cook the spaghetti. Add the pasta to a pan of well salted boiling water. Cook until al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain well and allow to steam dry for a minute before dividing up onto plates.
- Taste the bolognese to ensure the lentils are cooked through; they should have a slight bite to them. Season with salt and pepper as required. Spoon the lentil bolognese onto the pasta. Serve alongside a crisp dressed salad and crunchy fresh bread.