Lentil bolognese

This one of my signature dishes, loved by adults and kids alike, and packed with protein. The "meaty" aspect of the bolognese comes from red lentils that come undone when cooked, and the sauce is enriched with red wine, mushrooms, onions, garlic and herbs.
This dish goes beautifully with broccoli balls.
Recipe inspired from Vegan Richa.

Ingredients
- 225g pasta
- 100g red lentils
- 2 tsp (9g) olive oil
- 35g brown onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic (12g)
- 110g mushrooms
- 60g red wine
- 30g shredded carrots
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 500g pasta sauce (I like Dolmio)
- 1 tbsp (16g) tomato paste
- salt to taste
- vegan cheese to taste (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash the lentils, drain them, and boil them until they come undone. Drain & reserve.
2. Boil the pasta until they are al dente, and immediately put them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and reserve.
3. Heat up olive oil in a pan, and fry onion for ~2 min.
4. Add mushrooms and fry until water is largely evaporated from the mushrooms.
5. Add crushed garlic & shredded carrots, and cook for another ~5 min.
6. Add herbs and stir.
7. Add red wine, and let it evaporate almost entirely, stirring regularly.
8. Add cooked red lentil, tomato paste and pasta sauce, and stir.
9. Reduce heat and let the sauce thicken and cook for ~ 10 min. Make sure to keep stirring from time to time to avoid the sauce burning at the bottom of the pan (this can happen if the sauce is already very thick). Use a splatter screen to avoid sauce splattering all over the stove.
10. Heat up the pasta in the microwave, pour bolognese sauce on top, and (optional) sprinkle with vegan parmesan, or fresh basil.

Lentil bolognese

Ingredients

Instructions