Ingredients

Serves 4

• Enough spaghetti for 4 people
• 1 tin of tomatoes (or fresh tomato sauce, if you've got some spare
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Handful of fresh herbs (e.g. basil & parsley
• 150g Puy-style lentils
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve (optional

Method

1. Put the lentils in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until soft. Stir regularly and top up the water, if needed.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
   
   
3. Add the tinned tomatoes or fresh tomato sauce. Add the stock cube. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
4. When the lentils are soft, drain them and rinse them. Add to the tomatoes and mix well. Let this mixture simmer gently, while the spaghetti cooks.
   
   
5. It's now time to cook the spaghetti, according to the packet instructions.
   
   
   
6. Drain the spaghetti and serve topped with the tomato & lentil sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.
   
   

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

Notes & Variations on Lentil Spag Bol

This sauce freezes well. It doesn't take much longer to make a double batch.

Experiment with in-season herbs. Remember, if you're using dried herbs, you need 1/2 or even 1/4 of the quantity.

If you like mushrooms, you could add some finely sliced mushrooms to the onion & garlic mix. Or you could try dried mushrooms, chopped and added when you add the tomatoes.

If you've got some spare carrots or even runner beans in your veg box, you could experiment by chopping and adding these - carrots at the frying stage, runner beans 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

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