Mushroom And Lentil Bolognese

Cosy and comforting, mushroom and lentils make for a simple supper the whole family will love! We've been cutting down on our meat intake and we have felt great and found we've had more energy, thanks to this hearty meal, with fresh herbs, loads of veggies and of course lashings of melty cheese and pasta. 

With the holidays finally here, we all tend to eat a lot more and indulge, and I'll be the first to admit that I indulge big time, so it is nice to have something healthier and with the cold weather a hearty meal with pasta is the way to go. I am a big fan of pasta, but I've noticed that as soon as I have been eating it of late, I've been left feeling bloated and very uncomfortable, so I decided to try gluten free pasta and oh my gosh, it has been totally life-changing, the bloat has gone and I feel great after eating it! I may have been a bit naughty and had seconds, ok maybe a cheeky third's, but I have to say gluten-free is the way for me and my family and for those that feel bloated after eating a starch pasta dish, I recommend trying gluten-free pasta. 

Leanora loves bolognese, so at first, I was a little worried about this dish but it was a hit and she did not even notice that it was jam-packed with vegetables, especially vegetables that she normally does not eat (mushrooms), she scoffed the whole lot and asked for another helping. This is the perfect cosy and hearty vegetable filled dish for the family, a smashing way to sneak in the 5 a day for the kids, plus it's a great way to get them to try new things such as lentils. 

Growing up and now in my adult life, I never tried lentils so was a little bit worried about cooking them, even myself liking them, most likely due to fear of the unknown, but that is what is great about stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a risk and trying new things as it can pay off and it sure did. 

I always thought you had to soak lentils, like some pulses you have to, but it is so easy to cook and popped it all into the same pot to cook out. I went for green lentils for this dish as I found that they have a more earthy stronger flavour and remain firm once cooked, therefore giving this dish a more meatier texture.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1/2 a bunch of fresh time
• 250g chestnut mushrooms
• olive oil
• 100g of green lentils
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 tin of plum tomatoes
• 400ml vegetable stock
• parmesan cheese
• 400g of gluten-free pasta 

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel the onion, carrot and garlic. Trim the celery and roughly chop all veg. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add all the vegetables, along with the time and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. 
2. Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor or roughly chop into small pieces, add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stir and add the green lentils, tomato puree, plum tomatoes, and vegetable stock and pop on a lid and cook on a medium heat for 30 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. 
3. When the lentils are almost done cook pasta as per instructions on the packet.
4. Drain the pasta once cooked, saving a little of the water it was cooked in, into a cup.
5. Stir in the bolognese into the pasta and a little of the hotter saved in the cup to help it to stop sticking together. Sprinkle in the parmesan and if you like roughly chop some parsley and serve it on top of your bolognese.

This bolognese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. 

London Mumma