Lentil-Mushroom Tagliatelle Bolognese | Christina's Kitchen: Global - ITALY
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Lentil-Mushroom Bolognese
Serves 6 to 8 Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 to 20 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, very finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
¼-3/4 teaspoon (1 to 4 mL) fine sea salt, plus a pinch
1 large celery stalk, very finely chopped
1 large carrot, very finely chopped
16 ounces cremini mushrooms, very finely chopped
3 cups eggplant, ½” x 2”, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried basil
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried thyme
14 ounces (400 g) tagliatelle pasta (about 6 ½ cups/1.625 L uncooked pasta)
4 cups Marinara Sauce or store-bought marinara sauce
1 ½ cups (375 mL) cooked lentils
2 tablespoons tahini
½ teaspoon (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and stir. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the other tablespoon of oil, stir in carrots, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, oregano, basil, thyme, and salt and cook for 8 minutes over medium heat, until most of the water cooks off.
4. When the water for the pasta boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente, following package directions, typically around 8 minutes.
5. Into the pot with the mushrooms, stir in the marinara sauce, lentils, and tahini until combined. Make sure you stir well to fully incorporate the tahini until combined. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for a few more minutes.
6. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to halt the cooking process. Stir the pasta into the lentil-veggie mixture until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Heat for a couple of minutes, or until heated throughout. Serve and enjoy. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The leftovers are even delicious chilled, straight from the fridge!
Easiest Marinara Sauce
¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced (2 to 3 cups/500 to 750 mL)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons/30 mL), to taste
1 teaspoon (5 mL) fine sea salt, or to taste, plus a pinch
1 (28-ounce/796 mL) cans no-salt-added crushed, or diced tomatoes, with juices
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (125 mL) fresh basil leaves
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens. It should reduce in volume by one-third to one-half. Discard the bay leaves.
At this point, if you prefer a smooth sauce you can purée it in a blender or directly in the pot using an immersion blender. Otherwise, simply leave the sauce chunky. I usually add the basil and purée it all together.
Remove from the heat and stir in the basil if you haven’t already puréed it into the sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if desired. Store the cooled sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container for 1 to 2 months.
TiP: I like to use San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes in a can for this recipe.