Lentil & Mushroom Bolognese

Mushroom & Lentil Bolognese served with Buckwheat Pasta 

This bolognese has such a rich, delicious flavour, it’s hard not to love it. I’ve fed it to the most ardent meat eaters who have enjoyed it, so it’s a perfect vegetarian/vegan recipe to include during the week. It’s easy and cheap to make and both children and adults enjoy it. I like to have it with buckwheat pasta for dinner and with a salad for lunch. It also freezes really well so is great for batch cooking.

If you are looking for a vegan cheese option for a topping I use Violife which is made from coconut. I personally don’t like soy cheese so was happy to find this brand. It grates and melts really well and tastes like cheese!

Using buckwheat pasta in place of a wheat pasta adds protein  and other nutrients and makes the meal lighter to digest.s I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients (serves 6) 

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
• 100g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
• 150g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 x tins tomatoes
• 1 tin of tomato passata
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 2 x tins of green lentils, drained and rinsed well
• 1 tablespoon of Mixed Italian Herbs or Mixed Herbs
• A splash of tamari (to taste)
• Optional – a splash of red wine (to taste)
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• Grated vegan cheese or parmesan
• Fresh basil leaves
• Buckwheat pasta

Method

1. Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and lightly sautée the onions and garlic for a few minutes and then add the sun dried tomatoes, grated mushrooms and herbs and stir for a few minutes longer,
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato passata, tamari sauce and red wine and leave to simmer for around 20 minutes,
3. Add the lentils and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes to really get the flavours through the sauce.
4. Add the pasta to boiling water and boil for around ten minutes (follow packet instructions)
5. Assemble the bolognese on a plate with the pasta, sauce, grated cheese and fresh basil leaves.
6. Enjoy!