Did someone say soul-warming Mushroom and Lentil Ragu?! Where do we sign up..? Nourishing goodness is the order of the day with this delicious delight!
Slow-cooked, creamy and totally dreamy. Packed full of wholesome veg that will leave you feeling like you should after food… HAPPY & HEALTHY. Here’s the recipe, so dive right in!
Mushroom & Lentil Ragu
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil for frying
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 large carrot finely chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 250 g mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari sauce or balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 100 g dry green lentils or brown lentils or canned lentils (*see notes)
- 120 ml organic red wine or sub more veggie broth/water or coconut milk for richness
- 400 g diced tomatoes or passata or whole crushed tomatoes
- 240 ml vegetable broth or more as needed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp thyme leaves fresh or dried
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp miso paste optional
- ¼ tsp salt adjust to taste
- 30 g walnuts crushed (optional)
To Plate:
- 350 g Happy Earth People Lentil Penne
- Garlic mushrooms
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs e.g., basil or thyme
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released most of their water. Add the soy sauce, garlic, and lentils and cook for another minute, stirring frequently until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and cook for a minute until most of it has evaporated. Then add in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, miso (if using), and salt. Stir to combine and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are done. (If the sauce becomes too thick, add more veggie broth or water). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove the bay leave in the end and stir in the crushed walnuts if using.
- Start to cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions around 15 minutes before the sauce is done. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the cooking water and toss in a little bit of olive oil (optional to prevent from sticking). Also, sauté the extra garlic mushrooms in a skillet for the topping as instructed in this recipe.
- Serve the pasta with the mushroom and lentil ragu and garnish with extra garlic mushrooms, vegan parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs or any topping you like. Enjoy!
Note:
- To speed up this recipe, you can use 1 cup canned lentils (drained & rinsed). If you do so, please omit the 1 cup of water in the recipe and adjust the cooking time.
