Who invented pasta? The Chinese or the Italians? This is an old discussion that, to this day, is unknown. Some historians think that the invention of noodles may have been made by ancient peoples such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians, for example.
However, regardless of the mysteries involved in the history of noodles, one thing is a fact: both in the West and in the East, they are loved by many! What differentiates the passion of Easterners and Westerners, however, is the way of preparation.
I have never lived in Italy or China. But I have lived in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. In these countries, noodles are without a doubt a national passion, and I fell in love with the way Orientals appreciate and cook good noodles. In these countries, noodles are synonymous with comfort food and are definitely the kind of food that welcomes the soul and the heart.
Since my diagnosis of endometriosis, I have had to eliminate gluten from my diet. Of all the foods I consume, gluten is undoubtedly the most inflammatory. So, in this quest to reinvent my food, without losing the flavor, these days I thought of creating a vegan recipe that brings together the East and the West. That's how my "bolognese rice noodles" came up, a dish that mixes a bit of both culture, but without the use of gluten or any animal product.
This recipe is delicious and, in my humble opinion, worked out very well! I hope you like it because it's very easy to make!
Instead of meat, we will use lentils and instead of traditional noodles, we will use rice noodles. The bolognese sauce smells delicious and has a lot of flavors! It goes very well with rice noodles, which are very light and at the same time super easy to make!
For the sauce, we will need
6 tomatoes
1 cup of lentils
1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce (optional)
½ onion
2 cloves of garlic
parsley to taste
1 pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper
salt and pepper to taste
For the noodles
½ pack of rice noodles
This recipe is very easy and quick to make. So if you are hungry or lazy to cook, this is perfect!
Start by washing the lentils and mincing the garlic and onion. Then, in a pan, pour a little olive oil and add the onions until golden brown. When nicely browned, add the garlic and lentils, and saute well.
If you want to give the lentils an extra meaty flavor, you can add 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce here.
Then chop the tomatoes into small cubes. I like the bolognese sauce with tomato pieces, but if you don't like it, you can beat the tomatoes in a blender and add them to the stew. Close the pan and wait for the sauce to cook.
While the sauce is cooking, chop the parsley and put it aside.
I also had some chives in the fridge and added them to the sauce. It was delicious!
In this case, since rice noodles cook super fast, you have to wait until the sauce is ready before you finish the recipe.
When the sauce looks liquid, open the pot and taste it. Add a pinch of sugar to take some of the acidity out of the tomatoes. Then add salt and pepper to your liking. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Is the sauce ready? Then it's time to prepare the pasta. Boil 1 liter of water, place the pasta in a glass container, and pour the boiling water over it. Cover and wait. Rice noodles cook much easier and faster than traditional wheat flour-based noodles. I particularly find this wonderful!
Once cooked, drain. There, now it's time to pour the parsley into the sauce, put your rice noodles on a nice plate, and pour the sauce on top!
Tip
Instead of grated cheese, I put grated Brazilian nuts! It was delicious!
The question now is: to eat with a hash or with a fork and spoon? hahaha! Tell us your guess in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and make it at home!
Thanks for reading and see you next time!
H.
