Bolognese sauce with lentils

Name: Bolognese sauce with lentils
Yield: 1 large pot
Ingredients: 1,5 kg ground beef; 200 g Pancetta ham (if the beef is fatty, this can be omitted); 6-8 cloves garlic; 2 sprigs rosemary; 3 carrots; 4 celery stalks; 40 ml balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 200 g broth or water; 100 ml red wine (can be left out); 3 x 300 g tins tinned lentils; 4 x 400 g tins tinned tomatoes; 50 g sugar; salt and pepper to taste; oil for frying

The classic version of Bolognese sauce is without lentils, but we chose to add them for a more complete and protein-rich dish. If you don’t like lentils, you can leave them out.

Ingredients for 1 large pot:

1,5 kg ground beef
200 g Pancetta ham (if the beef is fatty, this can be omitted)
6-8 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
3 carrots
4 celery stalks
40 ml balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
200 g broth or water
100 ml red wine (can be left out)
3 x 300 g tins tinned lentils
4 x 400 g tins tinned tomatoes
50 g sugar
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Preparation:

Heat a deep pot with oil and fry the celery stalks and carrots, cut into fine pieces. When the vegetables have been fried for a few minutes, add the roughly chopped garlic and rosemary and leave them to fry. Add the tomato paste and fry that too, so that everything becomes aromatic.
Add the minced meat a handful at a time and allow it to brown slightly with the vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar, spices, tomatoes, lentils (without liquid), stock, wine, stir well and let everything simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 2 hours so that the flavours are well absorbed and the meat is tender and juicy.
The sauce is divided into portions, bagged and refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.