Lentil Bolognaise

Who doesn’t like a bolognaise?

This recipe is packed full of lentils so gives you a boost of fibre and protein.

Simple to make, freezes well (if you don’t mind wobbly carrots!!), makes a great recovery meal on a cold winters evening after the gym!!

I was inspired to make this after seeing a similar recipe in one of the Joe Wicks books - but this is actually a scaled down version of the one that he made.

You can use dried lentils if you have them or the tinned / pouched varieties - both works equally as well but the tinned/pouched varieties reduce the cooking time. If you are using dried lentils add 400ml water to the mix.

I always keep tinned green lentils in as I use them for a protein boost for lots of meals and the odd pouch of cooked lentils jumps into my basket if they are on offer or in the middle aisle !!!

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into cubes

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tin green lentils

1 pouch of cooked lentils (Merchant French used in this recipe)

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1tbsp of dried mixed Italian herbs

1 stock cube dissolved in 2tbsp of boiling water



Cooked pasta of your choice

Grated cheese, to serve if you want

 Add the oil to a saucepan over a low heat.

Add the chopped onion and carrots, along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook until softened. 

Stir in the garlic and herbs. Cook for another minute before adding in the lentils.

Stir everything together and then add the stock and the chopped tomatoes.

Stir in the tomato puree then leave to cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the lentils are soft.

Serve with cooked pasta and a little grated cheese on top. Add a side salad for more veggies.

You can also add so baby spinach to the Bolognese mix a couple of minutes before serving to add more veg to this dish.

This bolognaise can be used as a base for a lasagne or a shepherds pie. It can also be used as a filling for a jacket potato. I am sure you can find lots of different ways of using this dish :-)

L x