savoury

Veggie Bolognese

• time: 75
• servings: 6

Ingredients

• 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 100 ml Chianti
• 400 g green lentils
• 800 g plum tomatoes
• 450 g wholewheat spaghetti
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley
• 100 g Parmesan cheese

Cookware

• small bowl
• large casserole pan
• large pan

Method

1. In a small bowl, just cover dried porcini mushrooms with boiling kettle water to rehydrate them.
2. Peel onions and garlic cloves, carrots, trim celery sticks, and finely chop all with fresh rosemary leaves. Place a large casserole pan on a medium-low heat with olive oil, then add the chopped veg, rosemary and bay leaf. Cook with a lid on for 20 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
3. Scoop out and finely chop the porcini and add to the pan with the soaking water, leaving any gritty bits behind. Turn the heat up to medium-high, pour in Chianti, then leave to cook away.
4. Tip in green lentils tinned and plum tomatoes (2 tins), breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Half-fill each tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for 35 minutes, or until thick and delicious. Taste and season to perfection.
5. Meanwhile, cook wholewheat spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
6. Toss the spaghetti through the Bolognese, loosening with a little reserved cooking water if needed. Finely chop the top leafy half of flat-leaf parsley, finely grate most of Parmesan cheese and stir both through the pasta. Divide between plates, grate over the rest of the Parmesan and tuck in.