- 300 g dry pasta of your choice
For the bolognese sauce
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 celery stalk cut into small chunks
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 250 g button mushrooms or shiitakes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cl red or white wine
- 500 g tomato pulp or paste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 225 g pre-cooked green lentils
- 1 teaspoon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan or pecorino to serve
Start by preparing the ingredients.Peel the carrots and cut into tiny cubes.Peel and finely chop the onion with a knife. Peel and press the garlic cloves.Chop the celery stalks into small pieces.Dice the mushrooms. In a cast-iron casserole or sauté pan, pour in the oil and add the onion, carrots, celery and pressed garlic cloves. Brown for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.Then add the diced mushrooms and cook for a further 10-20 minutes, until melting. Add the wine, tomato pulp and tomato paste and mix well.Add the aromatic herbs (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary), sugar and paprika.Season with salt and pepper and stir. Cook over a low heat, covered, for at least 1 hour.Stir occasionally. 15 minutes before serving, add the drained and rinsed lentils and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.Leave to simmer for a further 15 minutes. If you'd like to serve with pasta or rice, bake and serve piping hot with a sprinkling of grated cheese.Enjoy your meal!