This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, a showstopper that definitely requires some time and effort but is so worth it. I’d make this for a dinner party to impress even the most skeptical omnivores, or on any winter weekend night that calls for a bottle of red wine and a hearty, lovingly-made meal.
The original recipe is, like many of my favorites on this site, from Laura Wright’s blog The First Mess. I’ve made very few modifications because the original is basically perfect, but I do increase the legume quantity a bit.
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets, peeled and cut into ~1/2 inch cubes
- 2/3 cup of black lentils, rinsed
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp. miso paste
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. salt
- 15 oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 lb pasta – I like fettucine best here
Directions
- Roast the beets: place the cubed beets in a foil packet with a tsp. or so of olive oil and roast at 400°F for about 40 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender.
- While beets are roasting, cook the lentils. For us, this is in the Instant Pot for 6 minutes plus 10 min slow release, but you could also cook them on the stovetop. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Prepare the mushrooms: in a food processor with the S-blade, pulse the mushrooms until they are finely minced, about 8-10 pulses. (You can also do this by hand but it’s much easier in the food processor).
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chili flakes, bay leaf, and cubed beets and cook for another 5-8 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the pot and stir to coat. Leave them for a few minutes and then stir once they start to let off liquid. Add the cooked lentils, miso paste, tomato paste, salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Keep cooking the vegetables for another 10 minutes or so, stirring at intervals.
- While the veggies cook, drain the cashews and combine them in a blender with 3/4 cup of water. Blend on high until smooth and set aside.
- To the pot of vegetables, add the red wine and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Finally, add the cashew milk and cook for 5 more minutes. Check for seasoning here and keep the sauce on low heat.
- Make the pasta according to package directions, minus 1-2 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the bolognese. Cook for another few minutes until the pasta is to your liking, then stir in the parsley to serve.
Black Bean and Chipotle Chili with Plantains