Vegan bolognese

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• Dried porcini mushrooms15 g
• Olive oil1 ½ tbsp
• OnionFinely chopped½
• CarrotFinely chopped1
• Celery stickFinely chopped1
• Garlic clovesSliced2
• Thyme sprigs2
• Tomato purée½ tsp
• Vegan red wineOptional50 ml
• Green lentils125 g
• Plum tomatoes (canned)400 g
• Chestnut mushroomsChopped125 g
• Portobello mushroomsSliced125 g
• Soy sauce½ tsp
• Marmite½ tsp
• Spaghetti270 g
• Basil leaves

1. 1

   Soak the dried porcini in 400ml boiling water for 10 mins. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan, add a pinch of salt along with the celery, carrot and onion, and cook gently for 10 mins, stirring, until soft. Lift the porcini out of their liquid, keeping the mushroom stock, chop them roughly and set both aside.

2. 2

   Stir the thyme and garlic into the pan and cook for 1 min. Next add the tomato purée and give it another 1 min of cooking. If using wine, pour it in and let it cook down almost completely. Tip in the lentils, tomatoes and the saved mushroom stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, warm a large frying pan with the rest of the oil and add the chestnut and portobello mushrooms plus the rehydrated porcini. Fry until all the liquid has cooked off and they are deep golden brown. Stir in the soy sauce, mix well, then scrape everything into the lentils.

4. 4

   Stir in the Marmite and keep cooking the ragù for 30-45 mins over a low to medium heat, stirring now and then, until the lentils have softened and the sauce has thickened and reduced. Add a splash of water if needed. Fish out the thyme sprigs and adjust the seasoning.

5. 5

   Boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted water, stopping 1 min short of the packet time.

6. 6

   Drain the spaghetti, keeping back a ladleful of the cooking water, then toss it through the sauce, loosening it with a little of the starchy water so the sauce clings to the pasta. Serve with torn basil and a grind of black pepper.