← Nouns Cooking · Plant-Based

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 10 g Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 150 ml hot water, then chopped (keep the liquid) (optional)
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 100 ml vegan red wine (optional)
• 200 g dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes (400 g cans)
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 400 g spaghetti or tagliatelle
• salt and black pepper
• 1 handful basil leaves, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 min, until soft and sweet.
2. Turn the heat up a little, add the mushrooms (and porcini, if using) and fry for 6–8 min, stirring now and then, until their liquid has cooked off and they start to brown.
3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, if using, and let it bubble away almost completely.
4. Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock (plus the porcini soaking liquid, leaving any grit behind), oregano, bay and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then cover partly and simmer for 35–40 min, stirring often, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Save a mug of the cooking water, then drain.
6. Season the sauce well, remove the bay leaf and toss with the pasta, loosening with a little pasta water. Serve topped with basil.

Tips

• Use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten-free pasta to make it gluten-free.
• The sauce freezes well for up to 3 months and tastes even better the next day.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Love and Lemons