Lentil Bolognese From 'Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food'

20140930-eat-lentil-bolognaise-jonathan-lovekin.jpg
An earthy, sweet, tangy flavor belies the homely simplicity of this lentil bolognese recipe. Jonathan Lovekin

Alright, I'll tell you upfront that this ain't pretty, in the conventional sense; I doubt I'll be seeing it on anybody's Instagram feed. But Nigel Slater's lentil bolognese from his newest cookbook,Eat,makes up for its deficit in the looks department with earthy, sweet, tangy flavor that belies its homely simplicity. Now, I'm not entirely sure about calling it a 'bolognese.' It's a stew of lentils cooked with carrots and onion and finished with a little crème fraîche and balsamic vinegar. While there is something about the sweetness and the subtle kick from the vinegar that could possibly harken to the tomato-based sauce with which we're all familiar, the similarity is far from overt. That said, I really liked this as a pasta sauce! It hit the right notes, and felt so, so nourishing and rib-sticking.

Why I picked this recipe:The addition of crème fraîche and balsamic sounded like an unusual, lovely addition to basic lentils.

What worked:I loved it! The slow cooking of the onions and carrots before the addition of the lentils enhanced their sweetness, which worked beautifully with the crème fraîche and balsamic and gave the sauce so much more depth than it would otherwise have.

What didn't:The sauce ended up quite thick, and would have turned extremely gloppy as it sat, but ...

Suggested tweaks:...I added a couple ladles of the pasta water to help thin it out, and it was fine. This was delicious as is, but I think you could have some fun with additions, too. Next time, I'll probably add some mushrooms and herbs, and grate Parmesan on top for extra salty funk.

Reprinted with permission fromEat: The Little Book of Fast Food by Nigel Slater,copyright ©2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.

Recipe Facts

4.1

(8)

Active:30 mins
Total:70 mins
Serves:4 servings

Rate & Comment

华体会应用下载

  • 2carrots

  • 3tablespoonsolive oil

  • 1onion

  • 1cup(200g)Puy lentils, rinsed if necessary

  • 4cups(1L)vegetable stock

  • 10 ounces (300g)pappardelle

  • 2tablespoonscrème fraîche

  • 1tablespoonbalsamic vinegar

  • Salt

Directions

  1. Cut carrots into small dice, peeling them if you wish. Cook over moderate heat in a deep pan with olive oil. Peel and finely slice onion,add to the pan, and cook for a good 15 minutes, till the onion is deep gold and the carrots lightly browned.

  2. Add lentils,冲洗如果必要,进锅里,然后倒在vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the liquid simmers and leave to cook until the lentils are soft—anything from 25 to 40 minutes. Season with salt toward the end of cooking.

  3. Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta and salt it generously. Cook pappardelle until al dente.

  4. While the pasta cooks, remove half the lentils and their liquid and process to a coarse puree in a blender or food processor. Return them to the pan and stir in crème fraîche and balsamic vinegar. Check seasoning and bring almost to a simmer.

  5. Drain the pasta, divide among warm bowls, then spoon over lentil ragù.

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
322 Calories
15g Fat
39g Carbs
10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition LabelHide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 322
% Daily Value*
Total Fat15g 19%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol34mg 11%
Sodium1578mg 69%
Total Carbohydrate39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein10g
Vitamin C 5mg 26%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 410mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)