Tesco Community Cookery School with Jamie Oliver
By Jamie Oliver
1 hr plus chopping
Super easy
serves 10
About the recipe
This richly flavoured sauce is super-forgiving when it comes to mixing up the ingredients, making it great for using up surplus veg. For a meat version, simply swap out the lentils for mince.
Recipe From
Ingredients
250g alliums (onions, leeks or a mixture of both)
12g garlic
750g Mediterranean veg (aubergines, courgettes, peppers, mushrooms)
25ml olive oil
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
250g lentils
1 litre tomato base sauce
optional: 1 veg stock cube (make sure it's vegan, if needed)
Top Tip
FOR SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
Cook 75g of dried spaghetti per portion in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Heat the Bolognese (allow 150g per portion) in the pan until hot through, then toss in the pasta, loosening with splashes of cooking water, if needed. Grate over a little vegan hard cheese, to serve.
Method
Recipe kindly shared by the Tesco Community Cookery School with Jamie Oliver. The recipe has been written to be flexible and scalable up to 50 portions. Note: all veg weights are for trimmed, prepped vegetables.
- Peel (or trim) the alliums, then roughly chop. Peel and slice the garlic.
- Roughly chop the Mediterranean veg.
- Place a large pan big enough to hold all the ingredients on a medium heat with the olive oil.
- Add the alliums and garlic. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the veg is golden and softened, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped Mediterranean veg and the herbs, and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the vegetables are golden and softened, stirring occasionally.
- Use a potato masher to gently crush the veg, breaking down any bigger lumps.
- Add the lentils and tomato base sauce, and bring to the boil – remember to note the liquid level in the pan.
- Add 200ml of water and stock cube (if using) and give everything a good stir. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until reduced – the liquid should return to the same level as in step 7.
- Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. At this point, you can portion it up to stash in the fridge or freezer for extra meals, or enjoy as spaghetti Bolognese (see tip).
Any leftover sauce is delicious served in a jacket potato, or use as the base for a vegetarian or vegan cottage pie or lasagne.
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