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Method

1. Place the onion, carrot, garlic and celery in the bowl of a food processor and blend until finely chopped. This can be done by hand, but it’s a lot quicker in a food processor.

2. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or casserole, add the chopped vegetables and fry over a medium–low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the mushrooms in the food processor bowl (no need to clean it). Blend until there is a fine, mince-like texture. Again, this can be done by hand, but it takes a long time and might be less convincingly like mince.

4. Add the mushrooms to the pan, turn up the heat a little, and season well with salt and pepper. Fry for a further 10 minutes.

5. Add the tomato purée, oregano, cinnamon and sugar (if using). Stir and fry for 1 minute.

6. Add the lentils (and the liquid too), a tin of water (400ml/14fl oz) and the milk. Bring to the boil and cover with a lid. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring only a couple of times. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10–15 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and rich. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7. To serve, toss the ragù through pasta and top with cheese (if using). Alternatively, freeze in portions for future use.