● Hearty Vegetarian Bolognese Pasta

Bandele Morrison York Alumna ‘20

As a vegetarian, I have struggled for years to find an adequate pasta recipe. I got very tired of saying “I’m a vegetarian, what alternatives do you have?” and the answer always being eggplant parmesan, at birthdays, weddings, and other social events. Most vegetarian pasta dishes in restaurants are not balanced, whole meals; i.e. they lack rich protein and fat sources, and are therefore not filling or healthy. I will never eat eggplant parmesan ever again, thanks to this recipe. I developed this recipe through trial and error, and it is now a staple in my family. The most important men in my life say it’s their favourite comfort food. This is a very loose recipe—the intent is for it to be a guideline for your creativity and personal preferences to come through, so feel free to adjust as needed. For example, if you like more sauce, add more water, or if you prefer a chunkier dish, add more pasta or lentils. If you are using lentils other than red split ones, you will need to add more water to the sauce as it’s cooking. Reading week is a time when we all need a hearty and comforting dish, and this recipe is great for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. For vegans, skip the cheese, or replace it with a vegan alternative like cashew cheese. Enjoy!

Preparation and cooking time: Approx. 1 hour Serves 2

Ingredients • 1 ½ cups penne pasta (rigate, preferably) • 1 cup red split lentils (dry) • 1 cup water (or more if needed) • 1 jar pasta sauce (homemade or store-bought) • 3 tbsps olive oil (2 tbsp in sauce, 1 tbsp in pasta water) • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar* • 1 tsp cayenne pepper • Seasonings (salt, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, fresh or dried basil, garlic, truffle oil, etc. to taste) • 1 tsp hemp hearts (for garnish, optional) • Cheese (parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, to taste) Directions

1. Prepare the sauce.

a. Blend your pasta sauce and herbs together. You can skip this step if you like a chunky sauce. b. Rinse the lentils thoroughly. c. In a saucepan, combine the lentils and tomato sauce. Add water, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne pepper. d. **If you do not add extra water and olive oil, your sauce will burn. e. Bring sauce and lentils to a simmering boil at low heat. Cover the pot with a lid. Expect the lentils to take longer than you expect because they need to be soft – approximately 30-40 minutes. f. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

2. Prepare the pasta.

a. Bring the water to a boil, with salt and olive oil. b. Add your penne to the water, and boil for approximately half the time it takes to reach al dente state, uncovered. **Dry pasta usually takes 10-11 minutes to cook completely, so at this stage you may boil it for 4-6 minutes. c. Drain the pasta, remove from heat, and set aside.

3. Combine sauce and pasta.

a. When the lentils are soft, add the pasta to the sauce at high heat, and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes. **If you want softer pasta, remove from heat, and keep the lid on for a few more minutes. For harder pasta, serve immediately.

4. Serve.

a. Garnish with parmesan cheese, hemp hearts*, basil leaves, black pepper, and/ or other garnishes you enjoy. Drizzle with olive or truffle oil right before eating.

Fun facts *Vinegar and acid flavours neutralize each other. By using both balsamic vinegar and cayenne pepper, you get the anti-microbial benefits of the cayenne pepper, without the heat.

*Hemp hearts add additional protein and omega 3. Per 30 grams of hemp hearts, there are 10 grams of protein and 12 grams of omegas 3 and 6).

Photo par Anike Morrison