Lentil Bolognese with three types of lentils

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 100 g lentils, red
• 100 g beluga lentils
• 100 g mountain lentils
• 1,200 g tomatoes
• 750 ml red wine, dry
• ½ leek(s)
• 4 carrots, small to medium-sized
• ¼ celeriac
• 2 onions, red
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 juniper berries
• 5 allspice berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp herbs de Provence
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• n. B. salt and pepper, black

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 50 minutes

Place the lentils in a bowl, pour over the bottle of red wine, and let soak for 2 hours. In the meantime, dice the leek, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic as finely as possible. Cut the tomatoes into eighths and then halve them again crosswise. Crush the juniper berries and allspice in a mortar and pestle. Heat olive oil in a pot or large pan, then add the carrots, leek, and celery and fry for about 5 minutes to develop a roasted flavor. Then add the onions and garlic and fry until translucent. Add the tomato paste and fry, stirring. Reduce the heat, add the tomatoes, and cook until softened. Add the lentils and red wine, along with the salt, juniper berries, allspice, Herbes de Provence, and bay leaves. Simmer everything for about 1 hour, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Tips: Always add the pepper at the end to prevent the essential oils in the pepper from being lost during the cooking process. If you want even more flavor in the sauce, don’t throw away the leftovers from peeling the onions and garlic, as well as the trimmed ends and dark parts of the leeks, but roast them in a small pan. Then add a little water. Instead of adding allspice and juniper berries directly to the sauce, add them whole, along with the trimmed tomato ends. Add a little water every now and then. Simmer for about 1-2 hours, then strain the mixture into the sauce.