Triple Tomato Lentil Ragu with Tagliatelle

serves

Serves 4

time

1 hour 10 mins

level

Beginner

It might seem mad to use three different types of tomato for this sauce, but they all bring completely different flavour. The roasted tomatoes are sweet and soft, the canned tomatoes provide the base, and the sun-dried tomatoes and nutty lentils add the final richness. You can find this and more delicious plant-based recipe from our brand new Simple Plant-based Cookbook.

Ingredients

700g cherry or medium tomatoes on the vine
4 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and black pepper
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
1 x 250g pouch of Merchant Gourmet Simply Cooked Beluga Lentils
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
6 Merchant Gourmet Sun-Dried Tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven t 200°C (180 fan) / Gas mark 6.
Add the fresh tomatoes and garlic to a large roasting tray, pour over 4 tablespoons of the oil and add the oregano. Season with salt and black pepper, toss and roast for 30-35 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over a medium head and add the celery, shallot and rosemary with a pinch of salt. Gently fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes until everything is soft.
Remove and discard the vines from the tomatoes, then stir into the onion mixture, along with the lentils, canned tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t catch, until reduced to a thick, silky sauce.
Boil the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions, then drain, saving a mugful of the pasta water.
Stir the sauce into the pasta, adding a little of the pasta water so it’s lovely and silky. Serve in bowls, topped with a few basil leaves, a drizzle of oil and a grating of parmesan, if liked.