Lentil Bolognese with Whole Grain Fussili and a Rainbow Slaw

This slaw combination is one that we keep coming back to. Variety is one of the primary rules of thumb when it comes to eating a health promoting diet. Our gut microbiome thrives on it. The different colours in vegetables represent different phytonutrients and polyphenols. 

Depending what it’s going with this recipe can easily be tweaked using different fresh herbs, spices and choice of dressing. In this case it’s going with our Lentil Bolognese, so we’re keeping it nice and simple with lemon juice and olive oil, though balsamic would’ve also been a great choice. 

Put some pasta on the boil. Get the lentil bolognese gently heating up. In the meantime put together the rainbow slaw. 

Ingredients for two

• 4-5 celery stalks, sliced as finely you can diagonally 

• 1-2 carrots, cut into julienne or grated

• 1 red pepper, finely sliced in same length as celery

• 1/6 - 1/4 of a head of red cabbage, finely sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)

• A handful of pitted Kalamata olives

• A handful of basil leafs, roughly torn

• A small handful of roughly chopped almonds

• Juice from a lemon

Method

Put the sliced red cabbage in a bowl and massage with a little sea salt and lemon juice. Set aside.

Slice and grate the other ingredients and add to a separate bowl. 

Add a drizzle of olive to the red cabbage and mix with a spoon. This method will coat the red cabbage and ensure the colour doesn’t bleed as much resulting in a nicer looking dish.

Add salt and lemon and mix well. Then add a drizzle of olive oil and mix well. 

Combine with the cabbage and add the almonds, basil and olives. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.