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Method
1
Build the soffritto
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a good pinch of salt. Cook slowly for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely softened and beginning to turn golden. Don't rush this — it's the flavour foundation of the whole dish.
2
Add the garlic and tomato purée
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells sweet and concentrated.
3
Deglaze with red wine
Pour in the red wine and let it bubble and reduce for 3–4 minutes until most of the alcohol has cooked off. Stir well, scraping any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan.
💡 Tip
Use a wine you'd actually drink — a cheap Chianti or Rioja works brilliantly. The wine adds a depth that stock alone can't replicate.
4
Simmer the ragu
Add the rinsed lentils, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, dried oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the sauce has thickened.
5
Cook the pasta
While the ragu finishes, bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.
6
Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season generously with salt and black pepper. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with a splash of pasta water. Toss with the drained pasta and serve immediately with a generous amount of grated parmesan.
My Monday story
Bolognese was the dish I was most sceptical about making meat-free. It felt like it needed mince — the texture, the richness, the whole thing. But after making this for the first time I realised what bolognese is really about: the soffritto, the wine, the low and slow simmer. The lentils just happen to be a brilliant vehicle for all of that.
Puy lentils are key — they hold their shape where red lentils would dissolve. The result is a ragu with a proper bite to it, the kind you can pile high on tagliatelle and eat straight from a big bowl on the sofa. One of my most-cooked Monday meals.