This recipe is definitely one of my favourite comfort food recipes. It’s the ideal dish to have on a cold night after a long day at work. It will make your heart and your belly sing with joy. What I love the most about it is, that although it’s super filling and scrumptious it’s made with only wholesome, good for you ingredients. I am so thrilled about the Sainsbury’s launch of its new vegetarian and vegan range. It’s so refreshing to see a leading UK supermarket offering more delicious and plant-based alternatives. The mushroom mince is such a clever idea and it works perfectly in all those dishes where you would normally use meat mince.

This rich and creamy ragu although ideal with pasta is also great with some brown rice or quinoa or with some crunchy bread. If you really want to go the extra mile whip up this 3 minutes almond “parmesan” which adds a lovely crunchy texture and cheesy flavour.

This recipe will make a large pot of ragu which will last in an air tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can also freeze it.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
1 pack of Sainsbury’s Mushroom Mince
3 cloves garlic, minced
1cup of cooked brown lentils
1 tin of chopped tomatoes or Italian passata
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves + extra for sprinkling
1/4teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon of dry basil
1 teaspoon of miso paste (optional but adds a depth of flavour)
Pasta of your choice – I have used linguine

For the Almond Parmesan:
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4cup nutritional yeast
sea salt to taste
1teaspoon olive oil
1teaspoon of white miso paste (optional but add an extra cheesy/salty flavour)

Start by making the almond parmesan. Simply place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a crumbly kind of consistency. Set onto one side while you are making the sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cook for about six-eight minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute, stirring from time to time to prevent from burning.
Add the mushroom mince to the pan and keep on cooking for four to five minutes.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and all the herbs to the pan. Stir the mixture well, and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes on a very gentle heat. If the sauce becomes too thick add a splash of water.
When the sauce is 15 minutes from being done, heat a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and add a splash of olive oil to prevent from sticking.
Divide the pasta into bowls and top with the bolognese sauce. Serve the pasta with some extra fresh thyme, cracked black pepper and the almond parmesan.

This recipe is in collaboration with Sainsbury’s.