Slow-Simmered Lentil Ragù over Creamy Polenta

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A deeply savory Sunday-style ragù built from brown lentils, dried porcini and a slow-cooked soffritto, spooned over polenta whipped smooth with olive oil. It has the long-simmered, meaty richness of a Bolognese without a scrap of dairy or meat, finished with lemon-parsley gremolata and toasted walnuts for crunch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 1 28-oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup coarse-ground polenta (not instant)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Put the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Soak 20 minutes, then lift the mushrooms out, squeeze them over the bowl, and finely chop. Reserve the soaking liquid, leaving the last tablespoon of grit behind.
2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and just starting to color at the edges.
3. Add the cremini mushrooms, chopped porcini and minced garlic. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked away — the pan should look dry and the mushrooms browned.
4. Push the vegetables aside, add the tomato paste to the bare spot, and fry it for 90 seconds until it darkens to brick red. Stir in the oregano, crushed fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds more.
5. Pour in the red wine and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bottom, until it reduces by about half and no longer smells sharp.
6. Add the lentils, hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, reserved porcini liquid, rosemary sprig, bay leaf and 1 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer, cover partially, and cook 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the lentils are completely tender and the sauce is thick enough to hold a spoon trail. Add 1/4 cup water if it tightens too much.
7. Fish out the rosemary stem and bay leaf. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and plenty of black pepper, then taste and adjust the salt. Keep warm over low heat.
8. While the ragù simmers, make the polenta: bring the 4 cups water, oat milk and 1 1/4 tsp salt to a gentle boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Rain in the polenta in a slow stream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
9. Lower the heat so the polenta barely blips, and cook 30 to 35 minutes, whisking hard for 15 seconds every 5 minutes and scraping the corners. It is done when the grains taste creamy, not gritty. Off the heat, beat in 3 tbsp olive oil and the nutritional yeast; if it stiffens before serving, whisk in hot water 2 tbsp at a time.
10. Make the gremolata: toss the parsley, lemon zest, grated garlic, toasted walnuts and 1 tbsp olive oil together in a small bowl.
11. Spoon the polenta into wide shallow bowls, spread it with the back of a spoon, and ladle the ragù into the center. Shower generously with the walnut gremolata and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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