Lentil Ragout with Zoodles (Vegan)

2 carrots, chopped

3 celery sticks, diced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

1 small pkg fresh "forest blend" mushrooms, diced

1 package red lentils (500 g)

1 pack passata* (strained tomatoes) (500 g) 

1 liter vegetable broth

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 large zucchini, spiraled into "zoodles" 

(or spaghetti squash, halved, baked and pulled into "squoodles")

*If you have trouble finding passata, you can order it online through Amazon or you can use 2 cans whole tomatoes, pressed through the food mill (using all the pressed solids and the liquid), which is a real pain. They have passata in jars or boxes at my local Fresh Market.

1) If you don't have passata, press the whole canned tomatoes through a food mill and reserve all pressed solids and liquid.

2) Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven, stirring constantly and adding a little water to prevent sticking, until they have just begun to soften. (No need for oil.) Add mushrooms and cook for 2 mins more.

3) Stir in the lentils, passata*, broth, oregano, and vinegar. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Be sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan! Add a little water or broth if this seems to be a problem.)

4) Spiralize the zucchini into "noodles," then add them to a separate skillet with a little water and SPG and stir-fry briefly (without oil) to soften and warm through.

5) Top zoodles with a generous serving of ragout and enjoy! (This makes a lot of sauce, but it is good leftover, and it freezes well. The zoodles are best prepared fresh.)

NOTE: We do not enjoy this sauce over gluten-free pasta (it seems rather tasteless, and kind of pasty, that way) but it is delicious over the zoodles.

The original recipe, from BBC Good Food, appears here.