Name: Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, diced very small; 1 carrot, diced very small; 1 celery stalk, diced very small; 1 star anise; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 150g puy lentils, rinsed; 200ml vegan red wine; 3 tbsp tomato puree; 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 15g miso paste; 1 tsp salt; 2 bay leaves; 1 x 400g tin of adzuki, borlotti or kidney beans, drained; Basil leaves for serving

AuthorJen BookerDifficultyIntermediate

This bolognese has a really intense and lovely rich flavour. The cooking time can vary to ensure the lentils are cooked, so keep tasting as you go

Yields1 Serving

Prep Time10 minsCook Time1 hr 15 minsTotal Time1 hr 25 mins

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced very small

1 carrot, diced very small

1 celery stalk, diced very small

1 star anise

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150g puy lentils, rinsed

200ml vegan red wine

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

15g miso paste

1 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

1 x 400g tin of adzuki, borlotti or kidney beans, drained

Basil leaves for serving

I blitz the onion, carrot and celery together to avoid the chopping, this also makes the veg nice and fine

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the blitzed veg and the star anise until soft and starting to caramelise. About 10 minutes

Cooking the veg slowly is important so don't rush this step

Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes

Stir in the lentils, then add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan as it bubbles up

Add the tomato puree and stir until the wine has evaporated and the paste starts to smell fragrant

Add the tomatoes, miso paste and salt

Tuck in the bay leaves

Bring to the boil and reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for about an hour, or until the lentils are tender

Add about 300ml water during this step to stop it drying out

When the lentils are cooked add the beans and gently simmer again to warm through

Remove the bay leaves and star anise from the sauce

Serve over pasta with a scattering of basil leaves

Ingredients