Lentil bologneise too mushy

[Ribrabrob]

I've made a red lentil bologneise and I've overcooked it so it's just turned to mush. Unfortunately the carrots I've added are mush too, even though I purposely left them chunky.

Any advice?! I guess I could call it soup but I really want spaghetti with it!

Ah, you need a firmer lentil like puy lentils for spag Bol, red ones are indeed good for thickening soup!

Add a can of beans or chickpeas to give some texture?

Or cook more carrots or other veg separately & then add them when just cooked

So you've basically got a lentil, tomato and carrot sauce / soup? I agree to add some chunky beans or chopped peppers and serve with pasta or noodles.

Porridge oats willl thicken and give texture to the sauce but after they have gone in , be warned , the mixture WILL STICK to the pan so keep stirring

Urgh - did you use red lentils? Puy lentils next time but in the meantime can you just use it as a spaghetti sauce?

Red lentils should only be cooked until just done, if you want them firm. They can be overcooked & go mushy pretty easily. Good for dahl though.

I love red lentil bolognaise. I bet it will still taste good.

Maybe serve with a crisp salad to add some crunch.

Embrace the mush and blend it into a smooth sauce?

Red lentils can make a really nice ragù sauce, but you have to be really careful not to overcook them. Hopefully it will still taste nice!

Thanks all for the suggestions! Ended up adding beans, they went mushy too (what am I doing today?) but was v tasty.