Have you seen those lists of the new 2017 trends? You know, the ones that go around the internet this time of year predicting everything from the popularity of coconut oil to the color of pale pink we’ll all be wearing in the spring? One that’s caught my attention lately is that “they” are saying that staying in is the new going out. And I’m totally on board with that. If you’ve had a busy holiday season how good does this sound: Stretchy pants, pasta, wine, and a nice dinner by the fire with twinkly Christmas tree lights in the background?
Ok, just kidding. We don’t have a fireplace, and we haven’t even put up the Christmas tree, because if you remember last year it was FEBRUARY before we got around to taking the thing down. But festivity aside, let’s make pasta, shall we?
I’m calling this a spaghetti “Bolognese” although I realize that Italian grandmothers are shaking their heads right about now. A traditional spaghetti bolognese has meat and other very specific ingredients. So while this is not exactly authentic, this pasta includes a delicious hearty mix of mushrooms and lentils that get all stewy with onions, carrots, tomatoes, and rosemary, among other savory ingredients.
Hidden in this spaghetti bolognese recipe are some unconventional ingredients. I find that balsamic vinegar and soy sauce bring out a rich flavor in the mushrooms. Sage (to me) has a sausage-like scent, so I used a bit of dried sage to bring a depth of flavor to the sauce. In addition to the lentils, I added some finely crushed walnuts that you won’t detect, but they add some richness to this no-meat situation.
I used canned tomatoes as the base of the sauce and tossed in some sliced fresh tomatoes near the end for no other reason except that I find brown foods exceptionally challenging to photograph 🙂
Aside from that whole not having a Christmas tree thing – Christmas came early because I got the chance to cook with KitchenAid’s new Stainless Steel Cookware set. The polished stainless steel is so fancy! The 12-inch skillet cooked my stewy sauce perfectly, and these pieces were a breeze to clean. Plus, how pretty is this large pot (and Jack’s action-pasta drop shot!):
Cook your pasta until al dente, toss it with the sauce, and serve it with steamed green veggies if you like!
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 4 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- ½ cup walnuts, finely crushed*
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can of lentils, drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried sage, more to taste
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, optional
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 cup sliced fresh basil, optional
- pecorino cheese, optional
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts*
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- red pepper flakes for serving, optional
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot and pinches of salt and pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, another pinch of salt, and cook until soft, stirring only occasionally, about 8 more minutes.
- Stir in the rosemary. Push everything to one side of the pan to make room for the walnuts. Add the crushed walnuts and toast them for about 30 seconds, then stir everything together. Stir in the garlic, then add the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and stir to incorporate. Add the diced tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, sage and fresh cherry tomatoes, if using, and stir.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. If the sauce is very thick, add water, ⅓ cup at a time, to thin. Season to taste.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the pan with the sauce. Stir in the fresh basil and a shaving of pecorino cheese, if using. Serve with more basil, cheese, the toasted pine nuts and a few pinches of red pepper flakes if desired.
Vegan option: skip the cheese.
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This sounds delicious, I love lentils 🙂
Rachael xx.
theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk
Mmmm this looks like such a good hearty meat free alternative to one of my faves
– Natalie
http://www.workovereasy.com
Yum! This looks delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Even though Italian grandmothers might shake their heads, I wouldn’t mind tasting this! Staying in is something I definitely can agree on, although the Christmas markets here in Berlin are super cozy in their own way.
This came out great! My one year old and three year old loved it too! Thanks!
Hi Lauren, I’m so happy to hear that!!
This sounds very yummy! And super easy too, I will definitely try it out one day 🙂 xx
http://www.diaryofanexpatgirl.com
Yum! I’m usually not a huge fan of mushrooms but this looks really delish!
Xo,
Megan at Lush to Blush
Spaghetti 😀 What else do you want me to say?? Looks like an easy one to try…
Thanks for the recipe Jeanine 🙂
Made this with Christmas leftovers. Really good thanks. I think the addition of the walnuts makes it ‘meaty’ and interesting. Carnivorous son ate it with relish!
nice change from my bolognese recipe, clever substitutions, love it and thank you for this recipe!
I cooked this up and it was incredible! Perfectly filling and a great variation for a vegetarian. Will definitely be making again.
This is such a delicious and hearty dish. Definitely a great alternative for when I find myself craving this traditionally meaty dish!
What a great way to keep spaghetti dinners from being so mundane! I can’t wait to try it.
This was great. For it to be totally gluten free use Tamari. I used an edamame spaghetti.
My mom thought it was very tasty. I’m trying to increase the iron in her diet.
Kate
Hi,does this freeze well?
Hi Maria, you could freeze the sauce but I would make the pasta fresh. Hope that helps!
Ok. I have to be honest. I was planning my PB&J while I was making this. I made it because my husband loves mushrooms but I HATE them.
But this was so delicious! I will make this again!
This recipe was SO good! I doubled it and will have left overs for a bit. Thank you.
This was amazing. I only had a small carrot so I added half a zucchini, and some chopped chilli that I had left over.
My new favorite meal! So hearty and delicious, perfect for winter I think:)
http://theblackblondie.com
I’m hoping to try this recipe out tonight, and have all of the ingredients on hand except for the fresh rosemary! Do you think dried would work in a pinch? 1 teaspoon?
I’d try 1/2 to 1 teaspoon!
Will this hold up w zoodles instead of pasta?
This recipe is actually delicious!! My 2 year old, 5 year old, and carnivorous husband LOVED it. This is a favourite in our house. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Jeanine,
I would prefer not to use canned lentils. Can I just add the dry lentils to the sauce or should I cook them up separately and then add them in. Also what quantity dry lentils should I use?
Hi Maura, I’d cook the lentils separately before adding them in. 1 can of lentils equals a little over 1 1/2 cups. So I would cook them and then measure them. If you make a larger batch of lentils than what’s needed for the pasta, store the leftovers and use them in this delicious salad on another day: https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-cauliflower-tahini-lentil-salad/ Hope that helps!