Spaghetti bolognaise

At a glance

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 onion*
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon oil*
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs*
• 2 cups mixed vegetables* (fresh or frozen)
• 500g lean minced meat* (for example beef or pork)
• 400g canned brown lentils* (no added salt if available)
• 700g canned or bottled tomato puree* (no added salt if available)
• 400g pasta* (your choice of pasta)
• Pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Dice the onion by removing the outer skins and chop into small pieces. Place in a small bowl for later.
2. If using fresh garlic, remove the outer skin and chop cloves into very small pieces. Add to bowl with the onion.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic, stir using a wooden spoon for 3 minutes or until soft and starting to change colour.
4. Add dried Italian herbs, mixed vegetables and mince, stirring for 7 minutes or until the mince is brown.
5. Drain the lentils and rinse with cold water (you can use a colander if you have one otherwise drain from the can). Add the rinsed lentils to the frying pan. Add the tomato puree and a sprinkle of pepper and bring to the boil by turning up the heat. Cook, stirring regularly with the wooden spoon for 15 minutes.
6. While the mince is cooking, cook pasta according to packet instructions in a saucepan. Once cooked, drain with a colander if available.
7. Divide the pasta between bowls and top with mince mixture.

*Tips

• Use red or brown onion.
• Use any of these cooking oils: olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil.
• Use any vegetables, canned, fresh or frozen, for example carrots, peas, mushrooms, and zucchini.
• Use your preferred type of minced meat, for example beef mince, pork mince.
• Use any type of canned legume, for example kidney beans, cannellini beans.
• Use any tomato puree, for example passata sauce, canned crushed tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, canned cherry tomatoes.
• Use wholemeal pasta for extra iron and fibre.
• Add any fresh or dried herbs for additional flavour, for example basil, parsley, oregano.
• Try serving with a sprinkle of cheese, for example cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese.

Watch how to make it

videocam 0:42