Lentil Bolagnese

This is an altered version of my lovely friend Leah’s recipe for Lentil Bolagnese (thank you Leah!). It is super tasty and very simple to make. And, the red lentils mean that it is a wonderfully nutritious.

Ingredients

• Generous glug of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 handful of mushrooms, finely chopped (or 1 large courgette, finely diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 100g red lentils
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1tsp blackstrap molasses
• 400ml of low salt vegetable stock
• Large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Fry the onion and mushrooms in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
2. Add the lentils and stir so that they are nicely coated with the olive oil/ vegetable mix.
3. Add the tin of tomatoes, the molasses and 200ml of the stock. Give everything a good stir and then bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir the sauce and add the remaining stock. Cover the sauce and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the lentils are completely cooked. You can always add further stock/ water if the liquid is absorbed or you’d prefer a more saucy bolagnese.
5. Add the fresh herbs if using and serve with spaghetti or other pasta. You can also grate some hard cheese on top.

Nutritional Highlights: Lentils are a good source of iron and protein. The addition of fresh herbs will bring many nutritional highlights as parsley or basil also add calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, K, E, zinc and many other good things. First servedat: 18 months A-L rating: She enjoyed this sauce with pasta as well as rice. Freezer friendly? Yes. Adult adaption: None necessary. It is delicious as it is!

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