Lentil Bolognese
I don't know why it took me this long to try a heartier pasta sauce like this. For years, we have stuck with marinara (which is also good) but my family LOVED this sauce over spaghetti. Big hit! We will definitely be having more of this satisfying lentil bolognese. It is amazing how much flavor you can develop while letting it simmer and with a few key ingredients. Plan this recipe for a day you have some time to hang out at the house. This is a great sauce for a long simmer. Once you have it simmering, you just need to stir it every now and then so it doesn't stick. The long cooking time is worth it to develop the flavors.
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced (I like to include the leaves; they have lots of great flavor)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes (or more if you prefer)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup red wine
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp agave
16 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 cup red lentils
1 package spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat (unless you are doing the Starch Solution, in that case, water saute the onions, celery, and carrots). Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until they begin to soften - be sure to stir them around a bit. It should take around 5 minutes for the onions to soften. Then add the celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the veggies with some salt and pepper and then add the oregano, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. Stir the veggies to coat them in the spices.
Add the wine to de-glaze the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Next, add the bouillon, liquid smoke, molasses, agave, pasta sauce, and water. Stir in the lentils and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling lower the heat to a low boil or simmer, cover partially with a lid (I just leave a crack vented on one side), and let it cook until it has thickened and the lentils have softened all the way through. This took around 2 hours for me. Be sure to stir it every now and then so the lentils don't stick to the bottom. If your lentils are taking longer to cook you may want to add a bit more water. It will still cook down again to the thickness that you are looking for with a little more time. Go by feel and don't worry - you can't mess it up. Just stir and add more liquid if you need to.
When the lentils are almost cooked through start cooking your pasta.
Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce, serve over spaghetti, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced (I like to include the leaves; they have lots of great flavor)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes (or more if you prefer)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup red wine
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp agave
16 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 cup red lentils
1 package spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat (unless you are doing the Starch Solution, in that case, water saute the onions, celery, and carrots). Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until they begin to soften - be sure to stir them around a bit. It should take around 5 minutes for the onions to soften. Then add the celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the veggies with some salt and pepper and then add the oregano, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. Stir the veggies to coat them in the spices.
Add the wine to de-glaze the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Next, add the bouillon, liquid smoke, molasses, agave, pasta sauce, and water. Stir in the lentils and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling lower the heat to a low boil or simmer, cover partially with a lid (I just leave a crack vented on one side), and let it cook until it has thickened and the lentils have softened all the way through. This took around 2 hours for me. Be sure to stir it every now and then so the lentils don't stick to the bottom. If your lentils are taking longer to cook you may want to add a bit more water. It will still cook down again to the thickness that you are looking for with a little more time. Go by feel and don't worry - you can't mess it up. Just stir and add more liquid if you need to.
When the lentils are almost cooked through start cooking your pasta.
Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce, serve over spaghetti, and enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment