Friday, January 15, 2010

Spag Bol

Andy and I were a bit stuck for dinner ideas. With not many veggies in the fridge, no tofu, and a desire to *not* heat up the house by turning on the oven, we turned to pasta. But what kind of pasta? Creamy, beany, herbalicious? Flicking through Wild Morsels for inspiration, we happened upon a recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese.

I've never had spag bol before. Andy was never a huge fan. But for some reason, we decided to cook this. And luckily, we both really liked it. But, while the recipe called for 1 cup of red lentils, I had vague recollections of Vegetation's post about bulgur... so I've made a few substitutions and am proud to present you with a recipe for a tomatoey delicious Spag Bol.

1 T. rice bran oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. diced red capsicum
1/2 c. red lentils
1/2 c. bulgur
400 g. tin whole peeled tomatoes
2 to 3 cups water
1 t. vegemite
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 t. miso paste
400 g. dried pasta

In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and red capsicum and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir vegemite into 1 cup of water, dissolving as much as possible. Pour tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze with your hands to crush them. When capsicum is soft, add lentils, bulgur, tomatoes, vegemite water, soy sauce, oregano and tomato paste. Stir, and add another cup of water if necessary to fully cover the lentils and give a saucy consistency. Bring up to the boil and then lower heat and simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water when needed. Once lentils are soft, boil water and cook pasta. Combine miso paste with a little bit of sauce and stir until dissolved, and then stir the whole lot back into the skillet. Serve over pasta with fresh black pepper, torn basil leaves, and a few sprinkles of tofu fetta.

12 comments:

Tamara said...

Looks delish! Looking forward to trying this over the weekend.

Anonymous said...

spag bol is such a funny abbreviation! i love bulgur with anything

Amy said...

Mmmmm yum! I love your version of it! Sgetti bol is definitely one of my favourites!!

Hannah said...

Spag bol was one of my favourite meals as a kid, before I went off meat (it was also one of the three dishes my dad made: spag bol, black forest cake, and KIDNEY OMELETTES. I still can't stomach any kind of omelette - but I guess that wouldn't worry you, what with the vegan wonderousness and all :D)

I'm very much wanting to try this version - love the idea of using vegemite and miso to lend umaminess!

steph said...

Oh deliciousness - this looks fantastic!

RawFoodini.com said...

If you want to explore the raw side of being vegan (though this recipe does look yummy), we have a Master Raw Food chef coming to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in February. Explore this uber healthy lifestyle to add to your vegan diet!

Bianca said...

I love anything with red lentils, pasta, and bulgur! Not that I've ever had those things together, but I KNOW it would be good.

Serena Lewis said...

That looks delicous! I used to love spag bol but, when I went vegetarian, it was off my menu BUT now that can change. Thanks!

Vaala ◪ said...

I like the idea of using bulgur as well as lentils. Sounds like it would give a really good texture.

Karine Fontaine said...

Hi!

I Really dont know how I got once on your blog but I'm really enjoying to read it each week!

You are very inspiring :)

Karine

amanda said...

yumm,comfort food..! :)

butyesidoeatpotatoes said...

This looks awesome. I've made spaghetti bol before, but I used portabello mushrooms instead. The bulgur and lentils are great ideas for added thickness.