Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup brown or green lentils, sorted to remove any stray stones

1 cup red lentils

4 1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 - 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1- 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pepitas

1 tablespoon high-quality balsamic

Pasta, cooked al dente

nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent. You may need to add a teaspoon or two of water to prevent sticking.

2. Add the diced carrot and saute for a few more minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients through the walnuts and bring to a slow simmer, cover and cook for a good 45 minutes to one hour stirring every 15 minutes or so to prevent sticking. Lentils that are not fresh take longer to cook, we never know how long they’ve been sitting on the grocery shelf, cooking time could take up to an additional 30-40 minutes and you may need to add additional water 1/2 cup at a time. Cook until the lentils are soft and the sauce has thickened.

4. Once lentils are soft and tender, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

5. Serve over cooked pasta; wide pasta or any tube-shaped pasta such as penne or rigatoni, gnocci would also be a delicious option.

6. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.