Veg spag bol

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  • Serves 2
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Spag bol is great for a cold night, reheated the next day, or enjoyed just whenever you feel like it. One of my favourite things about this recipe is the flexability of it - switch up the vegetables as you desire.

Ingredients

    For the bolognese:

  • 50g dried green lentils
  • 15g dried porcini
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1 bag leaf
  • 50ml red wine
  • 400g tin of tomatoes
  • 160g spaghetti
  • For the breadcrumbs:

  • 40g breadcrumbs
  • olive oil
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • salt & pepper

Method

  • Wash the lentils in a suacepan, drain the water, cover with boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain, return to pan, and season with a little satle, pepper, and oil.
  • Meanwhile, rehydrate the porcini by placing in a small bowl and just covering with boiling water.
  • Dice the onion, crush the garlic, slice the mushrooms, and finely chop the celery and carrot. Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves.
  • Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, add all the chopped veg, bay leaf, and rosemary, season, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. (Optionally, add some balsamic vinegar and sugar here)
  • Turn the heat up to medium, pour in the red wine and cook away.
  • Add the porcini (chop first if needed), along with the water - but leave any gritty bits out!
  • Add the tin of tomatoes, and half a tin of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10+ minutes. Add then lenitls when ready.
  • Cook the spaghetti according to instructions for al dente (normally 8 to 10 minutes in salted water). Reserve a mug of water when draining.
  • Pick the thyme leaves, combine with breadcrumbs, a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Then toast in a dry frying pan until golden and crisp.
  • Remove the bay leaf, and add the reserved mug of pasta water to the sauce along with the spaghetti.
  • Divide, top with the breadcrumbs, and tuck in.