Joel’s Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Heat a large saucepan or large deep fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook, stirring often, so it doesn't stick. Add in another tablespoon of water if it starts to dry out.
3. Add in the canned tomatoes, rinsed lentils, vegetables, herbs, onion powder, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat down, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
4. While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta in the pot of boiling water according to the packet instructions (usually 10–12 minutes), and drain.
5. Serve bolognese over pasta.

• Garnish with optional fresh basil, nutritional yeast, chilli flakes or whatever floats your bolognese boat!

• To hide veggies from fussy eaters, you can take the sauce off the heat once softened and blend with a stick blender!

• The sauce recipe is freezer friendly and great for meal prep! Simply freeze your leftovers or double the recipe and save a batch for another night.

• Leftovers can be eaten as is, or for something different try the lentil sauce on a jacket potato! You can see our crispy jacket potato recipe here.

• Another way to cook the onions is to add them to the hot oil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan for a few minutes. The onions’ natural moisture will steam them, helping them soften faster. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the water evaporates, then let their natural sugars caramelise until golden and delicious!

Serves = 6

Nutrition information (per serve),

• Energy (1924kJ)

• Protein (22g)

• Total Fat (3.7g)

• Saturated Fat (1.2g)

• Carbohydrate (77g), (Starch (67g), Sugars (9.4g), Added sugars (0g), Free Sugars (0.2g))

• Dietary Fibre (18.3g)

• Sodium (304.5 mg)

• Calcium (105 mg)

• Iron (4.9 mg)
  

Author: Joel Craddock, APD