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Ministry of Education New Zealand
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Beef and lentil bolognese with pasta.
A white plate with pasta, bolognese sauce, cheese and parsley.

Ingredients#

Directions#

  1. In a large bowl cover lentils with first measure of water and soak overnight. 

  2. Heat oil in a large pot.

  3. Add onion, capsicum, beef and garlic to pot and cook over high heat, mixing and breaking apart regularly.

  4. Cook until the liquid from mince has evaporated.

  5. Add lentils along with soaking water, tomatoes, salt and sugar.

  6. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the lentils have softened and are breaking apart.

  7. Dissolve gravy mix in second measure of water to make a paste.

  8. Mix paste through sauce and bring back to a boil then remove from heat.

  9. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil.

  10. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until just soft, then drain.

  11. Mix bolognese sauce with pasta.

  12. Serve pasta and sauce, top with cheese and parsley according to quantities below.

Tip

Portion out a reference plate for each meal size to guide your portioning:

  • Years 0 to 3 – 192g pasta and sauce. 5g cheese. 0.6g parsley.
  • Years 4 to 8 – 251g pasta and sauce. 7g cheese. 0.7g parsley.
  • Years 9 and above – 340g pasta and sauce. 10g cheese. 1g parsley. 

Special diet substitution ideas#

  • Vegetarian: replace mince with extra lentils. Use 20g extra of dried lentils per serve.
  • Vegan: replace mince with extra lentils. Use 20g extra of dried lentils per serve. Replace cheese with vegan cheese.
  • Halal: make sure beef is halal certified.
  • Dairy (Cow's milk): replace cheese with dairy-free alternative.
  • Gluten (wheat): use gluten-free pasta. 
Tip

Recipe tip

This bolognese sauce can be used in a lasagne, cottage pie or served on toast.

Instead of using dry lentils, you can use drained canned lentils without adding any extra soaking water.

If stove-top space is limited, transfer the cooked sauce to deep trays and keep warm in the oven while you cook the pasta.

This bolognese sauce freezes well. 

Gilmours product information#

Product descriptionPack size
Gilmours lentils red3kg 
Value canola oil3L
SB onion diced1kg
SB capsicum red diced1kg 
Affco beef mince 85cl1kg
Gilmours garlic crushed in oil1kg
Gilmours tomatoes crushed2.5kg
Pams salt iodised1kg
Pams sugar white500g
Maggi Wholeness gravy mix gluten free2kg
Turkmen pasta penne5kg
Alpine cheese edam grated5kg
Fresh Connection half bunched parsley350g

Nutrition standards summary#