Root Veg and Lentil Pasta

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Serves 2.

While I do have a lot of love for complex dishes made with exotic ingredients (did I mention I love miso?) there is a lot to be said for simple, comforting meals featuring seasonal ingredients. This recipe certainly falls into the latter category. It is hearty, wholesome, and delicious and can be whipped up in less than an hour.

Although this is a very simple dish, it does not compromise on flavour. The sauce is inspired by traditional Tuscan cooking, featuring onion, carrot and celery and flavoured with rosemary and sage. Although the inclusion of lentils is not necessarily traditional, they bulk up the sauce nicely and add body to the dish.

One note on cooking lentils; the cooking time will depend on how old the lentils are. The longer they sit in your cupboard or on the supermarket shelf, the more they dry out and the longer it takes to cook them. This means that a cup of red split lentils can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 40 minutes to cook properly. Keep tasting the lentils as they simmer until they are soft. Undercooked lentils also have a distinctly unpleasant taste, almost like soil. So if your sauce is smelling and tasting like dirt, keep simmering! It just means the lentils aren't ready yet.

Ingredients:

• 200g penne pasta, 
• 1 large onion, finely diced, 
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped, 
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and finely chopped, 
• 1 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped, 
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced, 
• 2 tbsp tomato puree, 
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, 
• 1 cup red split lentils, 
• 2 cups vegetable stock, 
• 1.5 cups water, 
• 0.25 cups white wine, 
• 1 tbsp dried oregano, 
• 0.5 tsp red chilli flakes, 
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 2 tsp dried), 
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1 tsp dried), 
• 1 stalk fresh basil, 
• 0.25 cups fresh parsley, roughly chopped, 
• juice of half a lemon.

Method:

• Place a large pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
• Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly soft.
• Add celery and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and slightly golden.
• Add the parsnip along with the tomato puree and tamari or soy sauce. Mix thoroughly to form a paste.
• Add the oregano, chilli flakes, rosemary, and sage and mix to combine.
• Add white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Simmer for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
• Add the lentils along with the water and stock. Mix thoroughly to combine and add basil.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. 
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta.
• Remove sauce from heat and remove the basil stalk. Add parsley and lemon juice, mixing to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add cooked pasta to sauce and mix thoroughly to coat the pasta.
• Garnish with some additional parsley and serve while hot.