by Spring Wise.
Ingredients (serves 4):
Olive oil to fry with
1/2 cup lentils
I vegetable stock pot (or equivalent cubes)
1 and 1/2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 large carrot
1 onion
2 handfuls of mushrooms
3 large cloves garlic
1 cup vegan red wine
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bay leaf
Fresh or dried herbs to taste
Salt and pepper
Method:
Put the lentils into a saucepan with 1.5 cups of water and the stock pot contents. Bring to the boil and then simmer for approx twenty minutes. (When cooked, the water should be mostly absorbed and the lentils tender).
While that’s simmering, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Lightly fry with olive oil in a large frying pan to release the flavour, and set aside off heat.
Finely dice the carrot and mushroom, and mix in with the garlic and onion. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, add a tablespoon of tomato puree, and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently. Toss in a folded bay leaf (folding releases the flavour!) to get the best out of your ingredients.
When the lentils are ready, pour them and any remaining liquid into the frying pan and mix thoroughly. Pour in your wine, and add herbs to taste (personally, I like lots of fresh thyme in this dish, and a good sprinkle of oregano, maybe a little bit of salt and pepper. Dried “Italian herb mix” will be fine too though!) and simmer until the carrot is cooked (this will take a minimum of twenty minutes, adding a splash more water or wine if it begins to look dryer than you want).
Cook your spaghetti in salted water with a splash of olive oil, and serve generously with your bolognese on top.
You can top off with a bit of vegan “parmesan”, but it’s very flavourful without, too. Best enjoyed as a social dish with a lovely glass of vegan red and olives on the side 
If you have leftovers, eat it as a baked potato filling the next day for lunch! It’s the best.
Spring Wise is a disabled, chronically fabulous eclectic artist in the South of England. She likes talking about roller derby and bees. She has an exhibition, Process/Integrate at The Art House until October 27. For more information, visit her Facebook page.