Lentil and Porcini Pasta Sauce

EASIER

VEGETARIAN

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes 4 to 6 servings over pasta

Here’s an earthy pasta sauce that you can throw together and keep in the freezer until you add it straight to the pasta pot. (Keep a quart of vegetable broth in the pantry so you’re ready to make the sauce anytime.) It’s sort of a veganized Bolognese, thick and hearty, best over wide noodles like mafaldine or even hollow ones like bucatini. If you don’t mind the dairy, shave strips of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each bowlful. The lentils need to break down and thicken the sauce (but they don’t need to melt), so this is not a quick weeknight dish. But the convenience of a bag of easy pasta sauce in the freezer can turn a Saturday night with friends into something special.

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

2 cups dry brown lentils

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if that’s a concern)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

Up to 1½ teaspoons mild smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground turmeric, optional

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth

1. Stir the tomatoes, lentils, onion, olive oil, tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, dried mushrooms, marjoram, smoked paprika, turmeric (if using), and black pepper in a large bowl until the tomato paste dissolves. Pour into a 1-gallon plastic bag, seal, and freeze flat. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

2. To cook the sauce, remove the frozen block from the bag and place in a Dutch oven, chipping it to fit in one layer at the bottom of the pan. Add the broth. Melt the sauce over medium heat, stirring often.

3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly until the lentils are super-soft and the sauce has thickened, 1½ to 2 hours.

Test Kitchen Notes

• For an easier prep, use 1 cup frozen chopped onion. Do not thaw.

• The soy sauce adds a savory, umami richness. It’s also why there’s no salt in the recipe.

• Use a pair of kitchen shears to easily cut the dried mushrooms into tiny bits.

• Feel free to substitute dried sage or dried oregano (or a combination of them) for the dried marjoram.

• While this sauce is gluten-free (if you use the appropriate soy sauce), it should of course be put over gluten-free noodles, if this is a concern.

To make the sauce in a slow cooker, chip the frozen block to fit in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the broth, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours or until the lentils are soft.

Voilà! While dried herbs and spices are a pantry staple, they don’t last forever. Most dried leafy herbs need to be replaced once a year. Dried spices like cinnamon can last a couple of years but then begin to lose their punch. (And they do so even sooner in humid climates.) Always store dried herbs and spices in a cool, dark place to extend their lives as long as possible.