Bosh - BIG BATCH BOLOGNESE

One portion of this will happily feed sixteen people, but it freezes like a dream. Having a few portions in your freezer is a great idea as it means you’ll have something delicious to eat even if you don’t fancy cooking from scratch!

This recipe is from the cookbook BOSH! On A Budget

This recipe is from BOSH - You can also watch their video HERE - You can find so may more incredible recipes and ideas on their website and social media!

BIG BATCH BOLOGNESE

Section 1: Ingredients

• 200g red lentils

• 1 large white onion

• 1 celeriac (about 500g trimmed weight)

• 1 leek

• 2 celery sticks

• 600g mushrooms

• 6 garlic cloves

• handful of parsley stalks

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp tomato purée

• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 100ml wine (optional)

• 1 litre vegetable stock

• 4 x 400g tins basic chopped tomatoes

• 2 x cinnamon sticks

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme

• salt and black pepper

Section 2: INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the lentils • Tip the lentils into a bowl and cover with cold water • Set aside

2. 2.Prepare the veg • Trim and roughly chop the onion, celeriac, leek, celery and mushrooms • Peel the garlic • Add the onion and celeriac to the processor with half the mushrooms • Pulse until you have rough dice , then tip into a bowl • Add the onion, leek, celery, garlic and parsley to the processor with the rest of the mushrooms • Pulse to chop, then add to the bowl with the onion and celeriac • Continue in batches until all the vegetables are chopped • Stir to combine

3. 3.Cook the veg • Place the pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil • Once the oil is hot, add the chopped veg, stir, cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the lid • Add the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any tasty bits of caramelised veg off the bottom • Add the wine (if using), stock, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, bay and thyme • Season generously • Simmer for 30 minutes • Drain the lentils and add them to the pan, cover and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the lentils are cooked • Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more balsamic if you want more sweetness and acidity • Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and you’re good to go!

4. 4.Store • Allow the bolognese to cool and then portion up and freeze lying flat as this makes it super quick to defrost when you want a quick supper

Enjoy!