Recipe: Beluga Bolognese

[nerakrose]

This recipe comes from this Danish foodblogger. It's vegetarian and can very easily be made vegan, and is delicious.

My housemate is Italian so I have been subjected to the "Spaghetti Bolognese IS NOT a real thing!" rant very often, but I served this for her and asked if it tasted like something from Italy, and she said yes, and that she was going to cook it for her vegan friends in Italy. So quality stamp of approval, I guess?

Serves about 6, can be frozen.
1 large onion
lots of olive oil (3 table spoons or so)
1 finely grated carrot
3 large cloves garlic
half a teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1tsp dried)
a good lump of butter or vegan butter alternative
2 tbsp tomato puree (the thick concentrated kind)
1,5dl red wine
0,5dl cream or whole milk (optional)
400g passata (or a tin of chopped tomatoes)
2 bay leaves
1 vegetable stock cube or concentrated vegetable stock*
2dl water
130g beluga lentils (about 1,5dl)

* I believe she means those little tubs of gelatinous stock that Knorr makes. Fond 'du chef' I think they're called? Idk.

( Directions and notes )