Ultimate Lentil Ragu.
Or ‘Veggie Bolognese’, or ‘Lentil & Walnut Ragu’ or WHATEVER you fancy calling it… everyone has a version of it, and I feel like I’ve tried them all at this point! But this is my own version which I truly believe is not only the best and most flavourful version, but also one of the most nutritionally dense. Win win.
I don’t like relying on meat substitutes in vegetarian/vegan cooking, so this ragu uses lentils and walnuts ground to a course paste, both for texture and protein. The other key difference here is seasoning & flavourings: dried herbs, red wine*, marmite, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar all contribute to a super rich and meaty ragu… without the meat of course. And you honestly wouldn’t miss it.
*all the alcohol evaporates during cooking, it’s just there for flavour
Ingredients.
Olive oil, a generous glug
1 large onion, or 2 smaller ones, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
100g walnuts
400g tin brown/green lentils, rinsed thoroughly and drained
100ml red wine
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree/paste
1 heaped tsp marmite
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Spaghetti/Pasta shape of your choice, to serve
Equipment.
Large saucepan with a lid (for ragu)
Large saucepan (for pasta)
Food processor
Chopping board and a sharp knife
Sieve/colander to wash the lentils
Method.
Soak the walnuts in boiling water until needed
Add the oil, onion, carrot, celery and dried herbs to a large pan and sweat down gently on a low heat for 15-20 mins, until translucent and golden. Do not let it catch and burn.
After about 10mins, add the garlic
Meanwhile, blend together the walnuts and half the lentils in a food processor until it forms a coarse paste. Use a splash of water to help it combine
Turn up the heat on the saucepan and add the wine. Simmer rapidly for around 5mins, or until the alcohol has evaporated and the wine has reduced
Add the lentil and walnut paste, the whole lentils and the chopped tomatoes. Fill the empty chopped tomato can halfway with water and add this to the saucepan too
Finally add the tomato paste, soy sauce, marmite and balsamic vinegar, and leave to simmer with the lid on for 30minutes. For an even richer flavour, leave it to cook for around an hour or let it cook slowly for a few hours in a low oven/slow cooker.
Check and adjust the seasoning. Serve with pasta & enjoy!
