To think spaghetti bolognese is better without meat?

[MrsWinnibago]

DH is vegetarian since the horse meat thing. I'm not but it's hard to cook separate meals all the time so today made vegetarian bolognese and it's FAR nicer than my usual.

I used red lentils instead of meat...onions finely chopped, garlic, fresh and dried basil, rosemary tomato, passata and some finely diced carrot and celery as well as a teeny spoon of marmite.

It's SO nice and obviously cheaper too!

As we're discussing lentils replacing meat, might I draw your attention to this, wot I posted a million years ago? Please note comment at the bottom re mash. And that you probably don't need as many as 8 large potatoes

www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/293-Shepherdess-Pie

Everything is better without meat, OP!

i think vegetable lasagne is better than meat lasagne.

Im not a proper vegetarian, i do sometimes eat meat, but theres so much decent veggie choice in this country, that it seems a bit of a waste if its something that can be just as nice or nicer without meat.

Ooooohhhh look at Findo with her lentilles de Puy and her ragu

If you like it, crack on.
It's not bolognaise though. Bolognaise is meant sauce.

You've just made something you like better than bolognaise.

I don't blame you as I don't like bolognaise. Although what you made doesn't particularly appeal to me either so not much of an improvement tbh. Glad you liked it though.

Did I say bolognaise enough times there? Bolognaise. Now I can't tell if I've spelt it right because to it looks all wrong. Bolognaise Funny word though.

I did spell it wrong, didn't I?

Bolognese? Bollognaise? Bolognaese?

No idea.

Sounds yummy but again I'd say it isn't really bolognese. I make lots of things that i think are just as nice without meat.

I'm vegetarian but my DH is a carnivore - we'd have something like that but I'd try and think of a good name. Like Linda McCartney's veggie chilli is called 'chilli non carne' hehe.

I usually call things 'Spanish' if I'm doing something with tomatoes and no meat, as in 'Spanish casserole' or 'Spanish stew' - they always fall for it as it sounds like a proper recipe! Got that idea from Katherine Whitehorn.

Bolognaise is the French spelling of Bolognese and perfectly acceptable, Randall.

fuck off JohnnyBarthes, there's nothing poncy about either puy lentils or ragu. I like puy lentils because they keep their shape after long cooking. I call ragu ragu, because it's ragu.

Obviously I refer to bolo-nway-zee #authority

Get in!
Thanks Johnny

Yabu. Lentils are farty.

I think you missed the Findo.

I love poncing. I once fretted about using La Bomba instead of Calasparra (or vice versa, I forget).

Lentils have their place - mostly in lentil dishes - but can only really improve on mince (or extend it satisfactorily) if you usually under-cook your mince so it's still tough.

You could have all that and meat you know.

My sticking point with spaghetti is the noodles. As long as it isn't the long stringy ones, I love any pasta dish.

Personally with meat, I could take it or leave it. I was sort of a vegetarian in college to save money. It wouldn't be a tragedy to never eat it again. But DH loves it, so meat it is in this house.

The only thing that must have meat no exceptions for me is chili. There is no such thing as a good vegetarian chili. People have tried, I have yet to be convinced.

I would have used quorn mince, use it straight out the freezer it's great.

If you eat beans and pulses a lot you stop farting (at least as a response to said beans and pulses).

That might be true, but I don't think we or our neighbours would survive the acclimatation period.

And yes, it's a sauce, but it's not bolognaise.

surely vegetarian bolognese is made with quorn mince (which I hate) what you've made sounds lovely but isn't bolognese

Lentil bolognaise is what they serve in the 3rd circle of hell. It has the most awful texture of any substance on the planet.

PrincessBabyCat - my chilli is immensely good...it's taken me years to perfect

Paintedlady, would you share the recipe, or is it a trade secret?!

Bolognese means "from Bologne" (a town in Italy) - so the meat content goes with the description. Sorry to say (I expect I'll get called pedantic, but hey-ho) the meat is what makes it Bolognese.

That was just in case you're interested - I don't suppose the Italian pasta police will mind what you call it (they are far too busy chasing after people who sell Palma Ham that isn't from Palma....)

Putting that aside, we call it a veggy-Spag round at our's (if its for me, as I'm veggie), or a Spag-bol for the boys - they're carnivores in a serious way

YANBU saying it's deeeeeelish without meat, I love the beans, tomato, sweet pepper, pesto mix (despite the after-effects).

Lentils are almost always better with a bit of pig fat.

They don't have spaghetti Bolognese in Bologna; it's an English invention, so you can put anything you like in the recipe. Or use tagliatelle, so the sauce doesn't all sink to the bottom of the bowl.

That is true, post. Although there is a ragu Bolognese - it's just not generally served with spaghetti.

I think spag bol is something we've made our own. There's nothing wrong with it - I think ' authentic' is often over rated.