Ali's Walnut and Eggplant Ragu

Ingredients

Handful of walnuts

1 large aubergine

1 large carrot

1 onion

1 celery stick

Mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

2 large tbsp tomato puree

200ml red wine

800g tomato passata

Basil

Oregano

400ml vegetable stock (only add if you're using dried lentils)

½ cup dried lentils

1tbsp brown miso paste or soy sauce

Salt

Cracked black pepper

Serve with pasta, fresh herb of choice, extra virgin olive oil and nooooch

To smoke the aubergine, prick the aubergines a couple of times with a knife or fork. Blacken the aubergines over a barbeque, or gas hob, turning regularly until completely charred. Place in a bowl and cover with lid, let the aubergine cool down and steam to help the skins fall over.

When cooler enough to handle, slit the aubergines lengthways and scoop out the flesh. Finely chop the flesh into an aubergine like paste.

For the walnuts, soak over night (soak for as long as possible, and simmer while cooking everything). Drain then pop in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil then simmer. Cook for 30 mins to 2 hours depending on how much time you have or how soft you want the walnuts. Then remove from pan, drain, and pulse the walnuts in a blender into small crumbs.

For the ragu, cook down the onions, celery, mushrooms and carrots in a generous spoon of olive oil until onions are brown, then add garlic, bay leafs, cover with red wine, bring pan to a boil and cook until wine reduces by half the volume. Then add tomato paste, smoked aubergines, blended walnuts and oregano followed by tomato passata and soy sauce. Season generously with salt and some cracked black pepper. Add in dried lentils and vegetables stock cube and water (only add water if you are using dried lentils!). And basil.

Place a lid on top and cook down until lentils are soft, anywhere from 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

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