In celebration of meat free Monday, here is a brilliant recipe for a vegan Bolognese-style dish.
Meat is replaced with puy lentils and mushrooms both of which are vegan protein sources.
The sauce is blended, cleverly hiding an array of nutritious vegetables.
This dish stores well so why not save leftovers for lunch with a few extra veggies thrown in.

Ingredients (serves 4)
120g (dry weight) green or puy lentils, cooked according to packet instructions or 1 tin of puy lentils
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 clove or garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon each of mixed dried herbs and smoked paprika
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
1 teaspoon of rapeseed oil to cook
flat leaf parsley to garnish
pasta of your choice to serve (60g dried weight per person), cooked according to packet instructions

Method:
Heat a teaspoon of rapeseed oil in a saucepan on a medium heat.
Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Season well with sea salt and freshly grated black pepper. Stir in the mixed herbs, paprika, tomato puree and the chopped tomatoes.
Allow it to cook on a low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Take the sauce off the heat and blend it using a stick blender until smooth.
Season again with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir the pasta and puy lentils through the sauce and check the seasoning. The mushroom, lentils and pasta all need a fair amount of seasoning so use a good quality sea salt and don't be afraid to add in generous pinches of it.
To serve, divide the pasta/lentil and sauce mix between 4 plates and garnish with lots of fresh
flatleaf parsley.
If you aren't vegan, some freshly grated parmesan wouldn't go amiss.