SPAGHETTI WITH LENTIL RAGU
An Italian favourite, Ragù di lenticchie, is made of mainly store cupboard essentials. A recipe which is easy to expand, depending on the number of people you are feeding, and a simple prepare ahead meal that is both tasty, healthy, and comforting. Great to serve for friends or add to your midweek menu, enhance this dish even further by including some of your homegrown ingredients fresh from the garden!
SERVES:
4 people
COOKING TIME:
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30-40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 500g dried spaghetti pasta
For the ragu:
- 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
- 450g of dried red lentils
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre of bouillon stock / veg stock
- 1 heaped tbsp of tomato puree
- 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Seasoning
METHOD:
1 - Heat the oil in a large pan over a moderate heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, celery, carrot and pepper and stir though for 10 minutes until the veg is softened.
2 - Add the dried lentils along with the tinned tomatoes, puree and stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more hot water if looking too stodgy and keep a lid on the pan when not stirring to keep the liquid from evaporating. Stir through the balsamic vinegar, scrape the leaves off the thyme sprigs and add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper.
1 - Heat the oil in a large pan over a moderate heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, celery, carrot and pepper and stir though for 10 minutes until the veg is softened.
2 - Add the dried lentils along with the tinned tomatoes, puree and stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more hot water if looking too stodgy and keep a lid on the pan when not stirring to keep the liquid from evaporating. Stir through the balsamic vinegar, scrape the leaves off the thyme sprigs and add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper.
1 - Heat the oil in a large pan over a moderate heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, celery, carrot and pepper and stir though for 10 minutes until the veg is softened.
2 - Add the dried lentils along with the tinned tomatoes, puree and stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more hot water if looking too stodgy and keep a lid on the pan when not stirring to keep the liquid from evaporating. Stir through the balsamic vinegar, scrape the leaves off the thyme sprigs and add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4 - While the ragu is simmering, bring a large stock pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook through for 15-20 minutes.
5 - Drain the spaghetti, retain a little of the cooking water and add a little to the pan of drained spaghetti, stir through to stop it from drying out.
6 - Plate up with a large spoonful of spaghetti and top with the ragu. Add a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves, freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan or similar.
4 - While the ragu is simmering, bring a large stock pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook through for 15-20 minutes.
5 - Drain the spaghetti, retain a little of the cooking water and add a little to the pan of drained spaghetti, stir through to stop it from drying out.
6 - Plate up with a large spoonful of spaghetti and top with the ragu. Add a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves, freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan or similar.
4 - While the ragu is simmering, bring a large stock pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook through for 15-20 minutes.
5 - Drain the spaghetti, retain a little of the cooking water and add a little to the pan of drained spaghetti, stir through to stop it from drying out.
6 - Plate up with a large spoonful of spaghetti and top with the ragu. Add a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves, freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan or similar.
NOTES:
The ragu will taste even better the next day so can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a few days, alternatively it can be frozen. If freezing, defrost thoroughly before warming though in a pan.
Dried herbs will work well in the ragu in place of the fresh thyme. Alternatively, use other herbs such as parsley or basil. If adding these more delicate herbs to the ragu then wait to stir though towards the end of cooking to keep them as fresh as possible.
Substitute the spaghetti for other types of pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or penne.
Sarah Hemsley | A Slow Gathering 2020
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