Autumn Bolognese: Mushroom and Lentil

by Ella Mills

This autumnal Bolognese has lovely depth to it, with rich tones from the mushrooms and tamari, a little freshness from the parsley, and a perfectly chunky texture from the lentils. It’s hearty, filling, and a fantastic batch-cooking recipe. Serves 4 with extra for freezing

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce dried porcini mushrooms • 1 ½ cups hot vegetable stock • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for frying • 1 onion, minced • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped • 1 carrot, finely chopped • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste • 1 Tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce • 2 cups sieved tomato puree • 2 14-ounce cans of green lentils, drained and rinsed • 3 ½ cups finely sliced cremini mushrooms • 4 servings spaghetti (Heat a little oil in a nonstick skillet and fry the mushrooms in batches on high heat.2 ½-counces per person) • ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stalks) • Sea salt and black pepper

Directions

• Soak the dried porcini in the hot vegetable stock and set aside. • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, and carrot.

Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and starting to caramelize. • Pour in the soaked porcini with all the stock, then stir in the tomato paste and tamari.

Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the sieved tomato puree and green lentils. Bring back to a simmer and bubble away while you cook the mushrooms. • Heat a little oil in a nonstick skillet and fry the mushrooms in batches on high heat.

Season each batch with salt and pepper, then stir into the bubbling sauce while you fry the remaining mushrooms until they are all cooked. • Cook the spaghetti following the directions on the package, then drain well. • Stir the parsley into the sauce and check the seasoning. Then add the drained spaghetti and mix well. Serve immediately.

Note This serves 4 generously but it takes hardly any time to make, so the leftovers can be frozen for another meal. Good for batch cooking, it also works brilliantly served with rice, or spooned onto a baked potato.

Tip for tinies Tamari is high in salt, so omit it for toddlers.

Permission to reprint recipe from How to Go PlantBased: A Definitive Guide for You and Your Family, by Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella. Published by Mobius in the U.S., 2022. Photo Credit: Clare Winfield