This delightful vegetarian/vegan version of the classic Bolognese is easy to make and it’s perfect for all pasta types. Here I used the Mezzi Rigatoni shape which catches this rich sauce beautifully.
Just like its meaty version, this sauce needs patience and time: cook it for as long as you can (1-1,5 hr should do), stirring and adding some hot water regularly to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. The longer you cook it, the sweeter the tomato passata will get – no need to add sugar! - and the “meltier” the lentils will become. Add just a little salt while cooking it since salt helps pulses to break up, speeding up the “melting” process, and finish it with a little of our beautiful Midori Green Salt “Sage, Rosemary & Garlic” for the extra herby and garlicky kick! Adding it at the very end will keep its flavours really intense and aromatic. ♥♥♥
TIP: you can prepare a big batch and freeze some of it in portions so that you can use it when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Buon appetito!
Bolognese vegetariana/vegana
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 small onion 1 clove of garlic 1 celery stalk 1 carrot extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves 2 cloves ½ glass of dry white wine 400 gr. passata di pomodoro (strained tomatoes) 100 gr. red lentils Midori Green Salt “Sage, Rosemary & Garlic” sea salt black pepper Peel the onion and the garlic and chop them finely. Sauté gently in a pan with a thick bottom together with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until soft and glazy.
Chop carrot and celery stalk and add to the onion and garlic mix. Leave to soften for a few minutes on a medium flame while stirring from time to time.
Add the passata, the red lentils, the cloves, a pinch of sea salt, the white wine and the bay leaves. Stir well.
Leave to bubble gently for at least 1 hour on a very slow flame.
Add some hot water regularly and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure the lentils are not sticking to it. It’s a good idea to use a flame diffuser.
Once the sauce has thickened, season further with the “Sage, Rosemary & Garlic” Midori Green Salt and some pepper and serve over your choice of pasta.