Lentil spaghetti bolognese
- 10 mins
- 30 mins
- Serves 4-5
A healthy vegetable twist on the classic spaghetti bolognese.
Ingredients
- 1 medium brown onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
- 2 x 400g cans brown lentils
- 1 cup button mushrooms, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 500g wholegrain pasta
- Optional garnishes: nutritional yeast, chilli flakes, fresh basil
Directions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, fry the onion and garlic in a little water (about 1 tbsp), stirring often. Add another tablespoon of water if required.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) to the pan and reduce heat, allowing the mixture to simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 15–20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the wholegrain pasta in a pot of boiling water over medium high heat until pasta is firm to bite (about 10-15 minutes), then drain the water.
- Once the vegetable sauce has cooked through and softened, partially blend with a stick blender. We do this to disguise the chunky vegetables from our 4-year-old, but it’s not essential.
- Serve bolognese sauce over pasta and garnish with optional fresh basil, nutritional yeast, chilli flakes or whatever else floats your bolognese boat!
Chef's Tips
- For a soy-free option remove soy sauce and for a gluten-free option choose gluten-free whole grain or legume pasta e.g. brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta or pulse pasta.
- I recommend trying a sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top of the bolognese - it’s a great alternative to parmesan cheese.
Joel Craddock
