Vegetarian Bolognese with green spelt

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 120 g green spelt meal
• 3 carrots
• 3 stalk(s) celery
• 2 large onions
• 125 g butter
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 200 g mushrooms
• 1 ½ can/n tomatoes, 400 g each
• 250 ml milk
• 50 g walnuts, chopped and toasted
• some basil, fresh
• Sea salt
• pepper, black
• 3 chili peppers, crushed
• white wine

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours

the vegetarian version of the real Bolognese sauce

For the soffritto, add a generous knob of butter (about 125g) and a little olive oil to a pan to prevent it from burning. Peel or clean the onions, carrots, and celery, chop them very finely, and cook slowly over the lowest possible heat for at least 30 minutes, until the vegetables are nice and translucent and soft. It’s important that the vegetables only cook, not fry, so don’t overheat. Toast the green spelt meal until it turns a little darker. Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize a little. Deglaze with the vegetable stock and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Finely dice the mushrooms and sauté with the garlic. Add the green spelt and, if desired, a dash of white wine. Add the milk, and when everything has boiled, add the tomatoes and bring back to the boil. Add the soffritto. Add the chili pepper and simmer for at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Be careful not to let the sauce burn. Add a little more vegetable broth if necessary. Finally, stir in the toasted walnuts. Tip: You can also add some freshly chopped carrot and celery to give the vegetables a little more bite. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with pasta and fresh, chopped basil.