Serves 3-4

Olive oil

1 large onion

1 carrot

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 cloves of garlic

85g green lentils

1-2 tablespoons of dried marjoram (or oregano)

1 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste

Pinch of sugar.

1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

Seasoning

1. Place the lentils in a pan and cover with 3x the amount of  water.  Bring to the boil, cover and then simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
2. Peel and finely dice the onion.
3. Peel and grate the carrot.
4. Finely chop the rosemary.
5. Peel the garlic cloves.
6. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, over a low to medium heat.
7. Add the onion and rosemary to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.
8. Crush the garlic and add it to the pan along with grated carrot.  Stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
9. Add the cooked lentils and marjoram and stir well to combine.  Sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the tomatoes to the pan, then pour a small amount of water into the can and give it a swish round to gather up the remaining tomatoey bits. Pour into the pan.
11. Stir in the sun-dried tomato paste and a pinch of brown sugar, then season well and stir again to combine.
12. Bringing the mixture to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
13. Near the end of the cooking time, stir in a couple of teaspoons of balsamic or red wine vinegar.
14. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
15. Serve the lentil bolognese on top of, or mixed through the pasta.