Every single ingredient comes from the press or the freezer in this comforting bolognese recipe. There’s no need to sweeten the mixture as the sweetness will come from the carrots and peppers.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
50g chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
50g chopped peppers
2 tablespoons tomato puree
100g chopped carrots
200g dried split lentils
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube and hot water
1 teaspoon each of dried oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Dried Pasta for serving
Method
Cook the onions in the vegetable oil in a large saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes before adding the garlic, tomato puree, and peppers, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the carrots and lentils and stir well. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and 300ml of vegetable stock made with a stock cube. Add the dried herbs and seasoning. Stir so that everything is combined. Cover the saucepan and bring to a low simmer for an hour. Stir every so often so that the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
*Recipe Suggestion: This recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. Pop in all the ingredients (excluding the basil), stir well and place the cooker on high for 3-4 hours.
To serve, cook the pasta according to the instructions, strain then combine with the sauce, sprinkle chopped basil on top.