Adapted from thefirstmess.com , a vegan culinary genius!

Vegan Bolognese
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup black lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf

1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems removed
8 oz mix of porcini and shiitake
2 tablespoons oil (olive or avocado are great)

1 small yellow onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
2 ribs celery, cut into small dice

¼ cup raw cashews, soaked for an hour or quick boiled

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dark miso
3 tablespoons triple concentrated tomato paste
1 cup red wine
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup guajillo chile paste (see above) (if you cannot find guajillo paste, just add another cup of tomato sauce)
juice of ½ lemon

½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb bucatini

In a small saucepan, cover the lentils and bay leaf with water and place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer until just-tender, about 20 minutes. They will continue to cook in the bolognese later on. Drain the lentils and set aside.

In an upright blender (preferably a Vitamix), combine the cashews and water. Blend on high until you have a totally liquified cashew milk. Set the milk aside.

Quarter the mushrooms. In a food processor, place half the mushrooms and pulse until finely minced. Transfer minced mushrooms to a large bowl and repeat pulsing process with remaining mushrooms. You can also mince them by hand if you prefer.

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the oil once heated. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic, carrots and celery. Cook this mixture for 8 minutes.

Add all of the mushrooms to the pot and stir to combine all of the vegetables. Leave the vegetables alone for one minute. Then, stir the vegetables again. Let them sit for another minute. Your mushrooms should be releasing liquid.

In a small bowl, mix the miso, tomato concentrate and 2 tbsp water.

Add the cooked lentils, miso, and tomato paste mix to the pot. Season everything generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Add the red wine to the pot and stir. Let the mixture simmer and cook out for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the cashew milk and continuously stir until well combined. Do not leave the pot unattended at this point as the cashew milk will easily burn. It will look like a weird mess at this point but just continue!

Add the crushed tomatoes and guajillo paste to the pot and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring often. At this point the bolognese should be like a very thick stew. Bring the bolognese to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Check the bolognese for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Keep it warm while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta according to package directions minus 1-2 minutes. You want to finish cooking the pasta in the bolognese. Once pasta is sufficiently cooked, drain and add it to the pot with the bolognese. Add the chopped parsley as well. Gently fold the pasta and bolognese to combine and heat throughout. Serve immediately.