Lentil Ragu

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion (White, Yellow or Brown, Finely Chopped)
• 1 Large Carrot (Finely Chopped)
• 1 Large Stalk Celery (Finely Chopped)
• 2 1/2 cups Cremini Mushrooms ((240g) Finely Chopped)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
• 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 cup Dried Red Lentils ((200g))
• 1 cup Red Wine ((240ml))
• 28 ounces Canned Crushed Tomatoes ((800g))
• 1 cup Vegan Beef Stock ((240ml) or Vegetable Stock)
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce (or Tamari)
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar (or Coconut Sugar)
• 1/2 cup Canned Coconut Cream ((120ml) Unsweetened)
• 16 ounces Pappardelle Pasta ((450g) Dry Weight)
• Fresh Chopped Parsley
• Vegan Parmesan

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the mushrooms into quarters and place them into a food processor with the S blade. Process them until they are finely chopped. You can pulse the processor and scrape down the sides to get the mushrooms evenly chopped. Don't over-process, you want them finely chopped, not processed into a paste.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions, carrot and celery and cook for around 5 minutes until the onions are softened.

3. 3

   Add the finely chopped mushrooms and cook for around 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released most of their water.

4. 4

   Add crushed garlic, dried thyme, smoked paprika and red lentils and gently mix them in. Cook for around 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.

5. 5

   Add red wine and cook for a minute until most of it has evaporated.

6. 6

   Add crushed tomatoes, vegan beef stock, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt and a bay leaf and mix in.

7. 7

   Bring to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for around 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little stock or water.

8. 8

   While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package instructions and then drain and rinse and set aside.

9. 9

   After about 30 minutes the sauce should have reduced and thickened up a bit.

10. 10

    Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and add in the coconut cream and light brown sugar and stir in. Let it simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. Taste test and add extra salt or pepper as needed.

11. 11

    Add the cooked pasta to your ragu sauce and fold it in gently.

12. 12

    Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and grated vegan parmesan.