EVERYDAY PACKED LUNCH
Roasted aubergine & lentil ragù
A rich vegetarian pasta sauce with browned aubergine and tender lentils. Batch-cook the sauce for busy mornings.
- Serves
- 4 generously
- From scratch
- 50 min
- Morning with prep done
- 10–15 min

Ingredients
4 generous portions · metric quantities
- 600 g aubergine, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 150 g onion, peeled and quartered
- 150 g carrot, cut into chunks
- 6 g garlic, peeled
- 30 ml olive oil
- 480 g drained cooked green or brown lentils
- 800 g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 150 ml water
- 2 g dried oregano
- 350 g dried penne
- 3 g salt, or to taste
- 1 g black pepper
Method
Roast aubergine
Oven + baking tray
Heat oven to 220°C conventional / 200°C fan. Toss aubergine with 20 ml olive oil on a roomy tray. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and browned.
Make sauce
Bimby TM7 + large saucepan
Put onion, carrot and garlic into mixing bowl; fit lid and chop 5 sec / speed 5, without heat. Transfer to a saucepan with remaining 10 ml oil and soften for 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, water and oregano; simmer for 15 minutes.
Finish ragù
Saucepan
Add drained lentils and roasted aubergine. Simmer for 5–8 minutes until hot throughout. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta
Second saucepan
Meanwhile cook penne according to its packet. Drain and combine with ragù, adding a little cooking water if necessary. Divide into four generous portions.
Kitchen notes
Contains wheat. Best for days when you have sauce ready; from scratch this is an evening cooking project.
Recipe development draft; not yet kitchen-tested. Timings are guides: check texture and doneness. Bimby settings are manual settings, not an official Guided Cooking programme.