It can be hard to think of something quick and easy to cook midweek, but look no further, BBC Good Food have shared a super easy recipe.
It involves a delicious pasta bolognese, substituting some mince for lentils.
The recipe notes said: “A brilliantly easy one-pan budget bolognese that simmers at the same time as the pasta.
“Using lentils means you can use less mince, not only does this help cut cost, but they are lower in saturated fats and a great source of fibre too.”
This recipe serves four people and is ready from start to finish in under one hour.
Ingredients:
One medium onion, finely chopped
250g beef mince
400g tin green lentils, drained
400g tin chopped tomatoes
250g dried penne pasta
One beef stock cube
Three tablespoons of tomato ketchup
Half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
75g cheddar, finely grated
Salt and pepper
Method:
Start by putting the onion and mince in a wide-based saucepan, and fry for five minutes over medium-high heat, stirring the beef to break it up.
The recipe doesn’t call for any oil at this stage unless your mince is particularly lean.
Add the lentils, tomatoes and 700ml pint water to the pan. Stir in the pasta, crumble over the stock cube and add the tomato ketchup and mixed herbs.
Season well with lots of ground pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Make sure to stir more towards the end of the cooking time so the pasta does not stick, and again, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with some cheese sprinkled on the top, or transfer to an oven dish, sprinkle with some cheese and pop it under the grill for three to five minutes.
The recipe said the tomato ketchup adds a nice sweetness to the mince but you can use tomato puree if you like.
The beef mince can also be swapped for any other mince such as pork or turkey, and the bolognese can be frozen for a month.
