Recipe · Dinner
Lentil Bolognese
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Swapping mince for lentils turns a comfort classic into gut-friendly fuel — lentils feed the bacteria that make anti-inflammatory butyrate, and a long-simmered tomato base adds lycopene, which the cooking actually makes more available. Nobody misses the meat.
Tip: Cook the sauce low and slow — the longer, gentler simmer is what breaks down the tomatoes and releases their lycopene, and it deepens the whole dish from thin to rich.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked green or brown lentils
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Wholegrain pasta, to serve
- Basil, to finish
Method
- Soften the onion, carrot and celery in the oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in the tomatoes, paste and lentils with a splash of water; simmer gently 25-30 minutes.
- Season well and loosen with pasta water if it tightens up.
- Serve over wholegrain pasta with torn basil.