Lentil and eggplant ragu

Left to cook for just over six hours, this pasta sauce is easy to make. Just fry the veg then throw it all in your slow cooker to bubble away. - by Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds

1 eggplant, diced into 1cm cubes

1 cup red wine

ó cup tomato paste

750ml vegetable stock

375g pack whole green lentils, rinsed

400g can chopped tomatoes

6 basil leaves, torn, plus extra, to serve

1 fresh bay leaf

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season

Cooked penne, to serve

Shaved parmesan, to serve

Method

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add eggplant and cook for a further 5 minutes or until eggplant has softened slightly. Stir in wine and tomato paste, then bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until wine has reduced by half. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a 5L slow cooker and place in appliance.
Stir in 2 cups of water, stock, lentils, tomatoes, herbs, of the vinegar and of the sugar. Cover with lid and cook on low setting for 6 hours. Stir in remaining vinegar and remaining sugar. Season.
Serve lentil and eggplant ragu on or tossed through cooked penne. Scatter over shaved parmesan and extra basil leaves.