Tomato and Red Lentil Pasta Sauce with Cheese Toasts

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1carrot, cut into 5 mm dice
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• 100gred lentils, rinsed
• 500gpassata
• 400mlvegetable stock
• 1 tspdried oregano
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 350gpasta shapes
• 4slices sourdough, about 50 g each
• 80gmature cheddar, grated
• 20 gvegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot with a pinch of fine salt for 8 minutes until soft and sweet, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
2. 2Stir in the lentils, passata, stock and oregano. Bring to a simmer, then cook with the lid ajar for 20 minutes, stirring now and then so the lentils do not stick, until they have collapsed and the sauce is thick.
3. 3Blend the sauce smooth with a stick blender. It should be orange-red and glossy, with no lentils to be seen. Season with salt and black pepper..
4. 4Meanwhile cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water for the time on the packet until tender, then drain, keeping a little of the water.
5. 5Toast the bread on one side under a hot grill. Turn it, top with the cheddar and grill for 2 minutes until bubbling and golden.
6. 6Stir the pasta into the sauce with a splash of the pasta water so it clings. Serve with a cheese toast alongside and optional vegetarian hard cheese over the top.

Per serving

kcal

745

protein

30g

fibre

11.4g

carbs

119.6g

fat

16.4g