Conchiglie with lentil, chestnut and porcini mushroom ragout

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 20 g porcini mushrooms, dried
• 300 g chestnuts
• 100 g onion(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 120 g carrot(s)
• 75 g celeriac
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g tomato paste
• 100 ml red wine, dry
• 1 tbsp vegetable broth, instant
• 1 bay leaf
• 125 g beluga lentils
• 400 g mussel pasta (conchiglie)
• some salt and pepper, black, from the mill
• 12 sage leaves
• 1 tsp honey, liquid
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 40 g Pecorino, freshly grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Blanch the porcini mushrooms in a bowl with 500 ml of boiling water. Make a cross-shaped incision about 3 mm deep on the round side of the chestnuts and cook in boiling water over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then return them to the pot, cover with cold water, and gradually peel them. Peel the onions and garlic cloves and finely dice both. Clean, peel, rinse, and cut the carrots and celery into 0.5 cm cubes. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Then add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Deglaze with the red wine and the soaked porcini mushrooms, including the soaking water. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaf. Rinse the lentils in a sieve, drain, and add them. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Cook the conchiglie in plenty of boiling, lightly salted water until al dente. Rinse the sage leaves, shake dry, and cut crosswise into fine strips. Roughly chop the chestnuts and add them to the lentil pot along with the sage. Cover and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Remove the bay leaf. Drain the conchiglie, let it drain, and toss with the ragù. Arrange on plates and serve sprinkled with the pecorino.