Leek and lentil bolognese sauce with seed sprinkle
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is probably more of a ragu than a bolognese sauce. Lots of leeks around which add a sweetness slightly different to onions. Never want to make just one meal at a time so this recipe makes enough sauce to go with pasta and make a shepherd's pie. Perhaps even better the next night.
Author: Rachel
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: whole food plant-based
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 350g leeks, washed and finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
- 250g carrots (two large), peeled and diced
- 200g red lentils
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (400g each)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 bayleaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan over a medium flame
- Add the leeks and cover and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to colour, stirring every few minutes.
- There will probably be enough moisture in the leeks but if they start to stick add a tablespoon of boiling water from the kettle.
- Add the carrot, garlic and lentils.
- Continue to cook for a couple of minutes uncovered, stirring and adding a little of the wine if it starts to stick
- Add the rest of the wine, diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Use the water to rinse out the tomato cans and add that to the pot as well.
- Add the vinegar, sugar, oregano and bayleaves.
- Stir and cover. Leave to simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. If it gets too dry add a little more hot water.
- Remove the bayleaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required. It probably won't need salt unless you've used unsalted canned tomatoes and paste.
- Serve with pasta and seed sprinkle* or make into shepherd's pie by topping with 500g peeled, cooked and mashed potatoes and baking for 30 minutes at 180 degrees c.
- This recipe made enough for pasta and sauce and a shepherd's pie both serving two hungry people.
- *seed sprinkle - grind 70g raw sunflower seeds, 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast and ½ tsp salt together in short bursts in a mini food-processor. If you blend too long you'll have sunflower seed butter.