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Lentil Bolognese

Prep
10 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Serves
'6'
Course
Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine
Italian

Method

  1. Soak red lentils1 cup in water for 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, prep all the other ingredients (i.e., chop onion1 and garlic4 cloves, chop walnuts1/4 cup, etc.)
  2. Heat a 12-inch deep sauté pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add olive oil1 ½ tablespoons, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of kosher salt1 pinch. Stir occasionally and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts to form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. Add a few spoons of water to deglaze the pan, and stir. Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the onions are softened and golden brown, 9-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic4 cloves, dried thyme1 teaspoon, dried oregano1 teaspoon, kosher salt1 ½ teaspoons, and ground black pepper to taste. Stir frequently and cook for 60-90 seconds.
  4. Stir in tomato paste1 5.3-ounce tube and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize, stirring very frequently, until it’s darker red in color.
  5. Optional: If using dry red wine1/2 cup, pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the smell of alcohol has burned off and the mixture is jammy.
  6. Pour in vegetable broth3 cups to deglaze the pan, stirring any browned bits on the bottom of the pot and stirring the broth into the tomato paste to combine. Add the lentils and walnuts, and stir to incorporate. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Add crushed tomatoes1 14.5-ounce can and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking. If using crushed tomatoes, you may need to add a little water or lower the heat as needed to prevent burning. I prefer to cook for 20 minutes for a more developed flavor.
  8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add long, wide pasta12-16 ounces and cook until just al dente. Reserve a ladle or so of pasta water (may not need it). Drain the pasta but do not rinse it.
  9. Taste the bolognese for seasonings, adding more kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Finish with balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon, and stir to combine.
  10. Add the hot cooked pasta to the bolognese and toss until well coated in the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water as needed to ensure the sauce coats the noodles. Garnish with flat-leaf Italian parsleygarnish or fresh basilgarnish, if using.
  11. If you're not serving all of the bolognese at this time, transfer the amount of bolognese sauce you'd like to eat to the pasta pot. Add the hot cooked pasta, turn the heat to medium, and toss to coat. Store the leftover bolognese sauce separately in the fridge.