ROOTS & WINGS

19. Return of the LINSENGERICHT (Lentil Bolo)

What? The remaining lentils from "18. Ratz-Fatz LINSENGERICHT (Lentil Soup)"  had to go somewhere.

In case you're wondering about the title of the recipe: I've "borrowed" it from my first word search, "The Weirdest Town Names in Germany" . Linsengericht is a town in Hessia, in the Mid-South of Germany.

But seriously now: as I seem not to be in the mood to stand in the kitchen for hours at the moment, but also don't want to bore you all and keep it healthy, lentils are just the thing. (And the acoustic side effects has dwindled to only stomach grumbling now.)

While looking for a yummy way to use up my lentils, I literally stumbled over this simple, fool-proof recipe in the cookbook Anyone can Cook by the inventors of the German cooking app/community, Kitchen Stories. (Be sure to download it – it such a creative community. And since it's in German and English, probably it's downloadable in the US app stores, too.)

Also, as "18. Ratz-Fatz LINSENGERICHT (Lentil Soup)"  was more like a basic Indian veg curry, this one's more like an Italian bolo.

Actually, it's pretty ratz-fatz (= made in a jiffy), too, BUT: as with any "Bolo" – the classic Ragù bolognese with beef, or the veg version = this one – the longer it simmers, the more intense the tastes / aromas.

Oh, you're hungry?

Good! Then off to the kitchen. The Puglia (we'll need, too) is already decanted.




Serves: 4 main courses

Prep Time: 45 minutes - several hours Why the range? See above. Minimum cooking time for the sauce = 20 minutes. Longer, like mentioned above, encouraged for taste-reasons. I managed 45 minutes, but then I was too hungry to wait longer.

Degree of Difficulty: Easy




WE NEED

500 gr / 1 lb 1.75 oz. pasta Spaghetti for the recipe, but use what you like best.
200 gr / 7 oz. red lentils
1 garlic clove 2 so that one's not so alone.
1 red onion
1 carrot
2 tbsp Olive oil Try to get Extra Vergine – best from an Italian deli/supermarket, as there you most likely get the strictly controlled Original
2 tbsp = 1.5 oz. tomato puree
160 ml / 5.5 US fl.oz. red wine I used Puglia as it's light for a red and I like the fruity => earthy aromas
400 ml / 1 2/3 US cup veg stock Either organic, or with the shortest ingredients' list => less chemistry.
2 bay leaves Please remove before eating
600 gr / 1 lb 6.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1.5 tsp sugar
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan To serve. ONLY Reggiano, at least 2 yrs matured... as this is the strictly protected Original (and not an inferior cheese(/imitate))
fresh basil To serve, if you fancy it.




WE DO

1. Peel and finely chop onion + garlic, and finely dice the carrot.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pot on middle heat. Sauté onion + garlic for 1 minute, add the carrot and sauté it for 2 minutes. Then add the tomato puree and sauté it another 2 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine. Rinse the lentils and add them to the mix with veg stock, diced tomatoes + bay leaves. Thoroughly mix, and cook on middle heat for at least 20 minutes in the lidded pot.

3. About 10-20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, heat a pot with salt water and cook your desired pasta al dente. Al dente = package instruction - 1-2 minutes ALSO, this one's tricky, because it depends on how long you intend to cook the bolo. If it's 20 minutes, 45 minutes, or 2-3+ – then on low flame – hours

4. When finished, season the bolo with sugar, salt + pepper.


5. SERVING:

=> Lunch/Dinner for several people: divide the drained pasta on four deep plates, top with bolo, and serve.

=> "Alone" Eater: halve pasta + bolo and freeze one half (=> Meal Prep!) For the two "fresh" portions, fill about 125 gr / 4.5 oz. pasta into a deep plate, and top with 2-3 ladles of bolo.



Guten Hunger & Buon Appetito!