Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stick of celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 500 g button mushrooms
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 100 ml red wine
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 500 g tomato passata
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 80 g brown lentils, e.g. Pardina lentils
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 handful fresh basil
- Salt & pepper
- 360–400 g spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion and garlic. Dice the carrot, celery and mushrooms.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, celery and carrot for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another 5–10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste in the last 2 minutes, and then deglaze the vegetables with red wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato passata and vegetable stock. Bring the sauce to the boil and add the lentils, herbs and spices. Cover and simmer for approx. 40 minutes until the lentils are cooked.
- Remove the bay leaf, clove, rosemary and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the freshly chopped basil. Serve the sauce with pasta cooked al dente and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Recipe & Picture: Liz Sinner
WINE PAIRING
Château Edmond de la Fontaine, Pinot Noir Rouge
The roundness of this red wine and its morello cherry aromas add an extra dimension of warmth to an already comforting dish. A few notes of vanilla provide the perfect finishing touch, evoking fond memories of Sunday lunch at Grandma's house.
