Mushroom & Lentil Spaghetti

You’ll probably notice I’m not the biggest fan of pasta. I much prefer to eat rice, gluten-free grains or vegetables … with the exception of this Mushroom + Lentil Spaghetti (and a couple of recipes in Chapter 8: Plan Ahead). This is a riff on the lentil spaghetti recipe I grew up eating and shared in my first cookbook, My Darling Lemon Thyme. There are so many more gluten-free pastas available now than when I started eating glutenfree, nearly 15 years ago, when they’d dissolve into a gluggy mess at the bottom of the saucepan! Gluten-free pasta sure has come a long way and many wouldn’t be able to tell the difference now.

SERVES 4 | GLUTEN-FREE | VEGAN

115g (1/2 cup) puy-style lentils, rinsed (available at La Cave, Vetro Hamilton and The Herbal Dispensary, Raglan) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 250g button mushrooms, trimmed + finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano pinch of dried chilli flakes 750ml bottle passata (tomato puree) handful of black olives, pitted + roughly chopped fine salt + freshly ground black pepper pinch of unrefined raw sugar gluten-free spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions handful of basil/flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve Place lentils into a small saucepan over medium heat and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well. After cooking spaghetti, drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, cover and set aside until needed.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat oil in a large frying pan over mediumhigh heat, add onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme, oregano and chilli. Cook, stirring often, for a good 5 minutes or more, until the mushrooms are cooked and their liquid has evaporated. Add passata, cooked lentils and chopped olives, then season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, adding a touch of water if the sauce gets too thick. Serve hot over cooked spaghetti, scattered with torn herbs, if using. Any leftover lentil sauce is delicious heated up the following day. Serve it over hot buttered toast, or add a couple of spoonfuls to a cheese toasty, if you eat dairy.