Lentil Bolognese

You know how sometimes it gets to the end of the grocery week and you discover that you're missing ingredients for the dinner you had planned, then you are trying to scrape something together from the stuff you've got hanging around in the cupboard? No? It's just me?

Saturday night was one of those nights, but this recipe turned out to be a keeper. We always have most of these things around and it was both fresh-tasting and filling. So good (and easy), in fact, that I think I'll be making this sauce from now on rather than buying a jar of pre-made.(We didn't have celery or tomato paste the other night, but I just used a little less broth and it still turned out beautifully.)

Bolognese is the Italian word for a meat sauce, so I'm not sure the moniker is a good fit, really. Any suggestions for another name?

Lentil Bolognese

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, grated
2 celery sticks, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup red lentils
400 grams / 14 ounces can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS
• In a large saucepan, fry the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the oil for about 5 minutes until they are soft.
• Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato puree, broth, marjoram, and seasoning.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes until thick and soft.
• Enjoy over freshly cooked pasta.