Sweet and salty lentil spaghetti

This sauce is inspired by the Sicilian dish caponata, but with the salty and sour elements stirred in at the end. When cooking lentils, don't add acidity and salt too early as it can prevent them from becoming tender - good to remember if you're substituting them for meat or veg in your favourite recipes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wide casserole, add the onion and celery and start cooking over a low heat. Cover with a lid, and apart from the occasional stir, leave for
   15 minutes until the veg are really soft. Stir in the garlic and fry uncovered for a couple of minutes.
2. Stir in the fresh and sundried tomatoes, plus the tomato puree, the sugar, lentils and 900 ml of water. Simmer fiercely, uncovered, for
   25-30 minutes until the lentils are just about tender and the sauce has thickened into a ragu-like sauce. If the lentils are still al dente, add another 100 ml water and cook for a further
   5 minutes. Cook the pasta following pack instructions.
3. Add the sultanas and vinegar to the sauce and cook for
   5 minutes more. To finish the sauce, chop 50 g of the olives and stir through the sauce with half the capers, then season with lots of black pepper and some salt.
4. To serve, drain the pasta then toss with the lentil sauce. Use tongs to divide the pasta between bowls, spooning leftover sauce over the top. Finally toss together the whole olives, remaining capers and basil and scatter over to finish. Eat with a good grating of Parmesan.

Nutrition