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!

best bean chilli recipe - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11666/vegetarian-chilli-con-carne

Blimey, lots of Bolognese facts I didn't know.
I don't realise it was such a contentious issue.
Does it really not have spaghetti?

Why an I asking? Why am I even still reading? I don't like it!

I found a recipe for Ragu alla bolognese on a blog that claims the definitive recipe was agreed upon in 1982. It contains milk!!

Well I am going to continue calling it Bolognese and it DOES have a lot of taste....loads in fact.

I toured Italy for three months and ate Bolognese in Bologna and it was nothing like the stuff people call Bolognese here! It was thick and saucy at all....very dollopy in fact...more like what I served today.

sauce sounds nice I would add some chilli and serve it with rice

I often make a sauce with tomatoes, onion and garlic sometimes add other vegetables and serve this was pasta

not sure i would want pasta (unless small shells in a soup) with lentils though i love both

Trinity vegetarian chilli con carne is a rather silly name as it means chilli with meat...

yabu
but only because bolognese is always with meat.
I'm sure your pasta sauce is delicious - I want some

I'm going to have a go at your recipe this week MrsWinnibago. It sounds delicious. It would never have occurred to me to add Marmite, and I bet it is that that gives the flavour a bit of oomph.

I'll PM my chilli recipe to you whoever asked, when I'm back at the laptop. Not a secret at all, its very fresh and zesty. I usually serve it with wraps, salad and stuff. Make my own guacamole as well

I put marmite in my veggie gravy, it's great in cooking.

personally find lentils a little heavy with pasta for some reason but i think a veg cottage/shepherds pie with lentils is fab..

Thanks Paintedlady, will look forward to it. :)

I think so too !! I'm not a veggie but not a big meat eater either z

Mince is BOAK.

I'm not veggie but would prefer your version.

Bun do! I use 2 cloves of garlic and put half in a minute after the onions and the other half when I put the carrots in...I think it's best if everything is finely chopped and the celery is a must.

And a cup of water!

Can you list as a recipe with amounts of each thing?
My freezer is getting empty.

Yabu.

You can stick your lentils up your arse.

Bloody meat substitutes.

I make veggie bolognese with puy lentils and mushrooms, I would think red lentils are too mushy for spag bol. It does look very like bolognese. If I was making a pasta sauce with red lentils and passata I wouldn't call it veggie bolognese.

It's nice, but nowhere near as nice as meat bolognese.

I think its sounds delicious! I make my bolognese with quorn mince and its yum, will definitely be trying with lentils nxt time. I also like making a lentil bake where I cook red lentils with mushrooms, peppers, sundried toms, binded together with an egg and topped with cheese. .bake in oven and is gorgeous with salad and crusty bread!
I can see where your dh is coming from with regards to standards in slaughter houses slipping. .I remember when I worked at a predominantly large animal practice, and some of the stories the vets would have about slaughter houses were a real eye opener. I remember quoting this before in a previous thread about halal meat (linda McCartney quote) "if slaughter houses weremade of glass most people would be vegetarian". I love her cookbooks!

Rabbit sure!

One red onion
2 cloves of garlic (large ones)
Fresh basil...about 10 leaves
Pinch of dried basil
Pinch Rosemary
Teaspoon Marmite
Passata
Spoon of tomato puree
Salt and Pepper
Spoon of oil
Carrots...2 large
Celery 2 sticks
2 large tomatoes chopped
Red Lentils...about a teacup full.
Water....about half a pint.

Finely chop the onion and garlic and the carrots and celery. Heat the oil in a large pan...I use a wok because I'm weird but I think it's better.

Put half the garlic in for about a minute and add the onion. Fry on medium heat till onion soft and transparent.

Throw in carrots and celery...fry for 5 minutes...then add the chopped tomatoes, the passsata and the puree....stir and add marmite.

Add the dried herbs.

Cook for another 5 minutes, add salt and pepper....add the water and the rinsed lentils. Add most of the fresh basil and then turn it down.

Allow to simmer for twenty minutes stirring occasionally and checking it' doesn't dry up....if it starts to look dry add more water but not lots.

Check lentils are cooked properly and see if you need more pepper...and add the rest of the basil on top before serving on top of pasta.

I add cheese on top of mine. Any you like.

Didn't say but you need about half a carton of passata...more if you prefer...just taste as you go.

That sounds lovely. Ignore the nay sayers. I will make it this week and report back.