Vegan Bolognese

Finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery. Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté the vegetables over medium heat for about 8 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Slice the garlic, add it, and fry briefly.

Add the vegan mince, increase the heat, break it up with a wooden spoon, and fry vigorously while stirring. Stir in the tomato paste, let it caramelize briefly. Deglaze with passata and water or broth, and loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add red lentils (raw and rinsed), rosemary, chopped basil, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently without a lid over low heat for at least 1 hour – stir occasionally and add more liquid if needed. In the end, the sauce should be creamy and the vegetables very soft.