Lentil Bolognese
- Yield 6
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Total 55 minutes
Lentil Bolognese is a pasta recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 6. Plan on 55 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, very finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, very finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, very finely diced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, very finely diced
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon each: crushed red pepper flakes, dried thyme, dried oregano, smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- toppings: chopped fresh basil and freshly-grated Parmesan
- 1 pound uncooked pasta (I used pappardelle)
Method
Sauté the veggies. Warm the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-a hot burner. Tip in the onion, carrot, celery and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tip in the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze. Tip in the red wine and stir to combine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Let it bubble gently. Tip in the vegetable broth, lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce nearly reaches a very low let it bubble gently. Lower heat to low (or whatever temperature is needed to maintain a very low let it bubble gently) and cover. Let it bubble gently for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring the sauce once every 10 minutes.
Leave the pasta in a large pot of generously-salted boiling water until it is *just* al dente. (Avoid overcooking the pasta.) Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then pour off the pasta.
Salt Lift and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the milk and balsamic vinegar until combined. Taste and season the sauce with however much salt and pepper is needed. If the sauce is too acidic, you’re welcome to also add in a few teaspoons of sugar. If the sauce seems too thin, add in some of the reserved starchy pasta water or extra milk as needed.
Plate Plate warm with the al dente pasta, garnished with lots of basil and Parmesan, and enjoy!
