It’s the time of the year again when we all start craving comfort food, don’t we? The evenings are cold, there is a wintery bite in the air, it’s raining more and more often and the air smells of smoke and dry leaves crushed underfoot. I personally really like autumn and everything it has to offer, with the exception of the dark clouds which tend to gather over our heads more often these days, threatening us with some serious rain.

As I am planning future recipes, I am instinctively drawn to pastas, stews, curries, cookies and cakes. Anything that makes the kitchen a cosy hangout again and warms you up after a run in the cold. Speaking of running, I love running in my local woods right now. The trees are starting to shed leaves, which rustle pleasantly under each step and there are plenty of cheeky little squirrels making a dash for it everywhere. They are such adorable twitchy little things, I don’t know how you could hate them.

My usually lovely and very kind neighbour has a bee in his bonnet about the need to exterminate grey squirrels, as according to him, they are pests. I usually tell him that humans are pests too, making far more damage to the Earth and its ecosystems than all of the tiny little nut munchers put together and that usually causes a welcome change of subject.

Today’s recipe is one of our favourite comfort eats – a hearty lentil and mushroom bolognese served with tagliatelle pasta and a generous sprinkle of my vegan parmesan. It’s easy to make (although it does require a fair amount of chopping) and if you have a large Dutch oven style pot and some space in the freezer, I recommend spending some of your weekend prepping a double portion of the sauce and freezing leftovers for the week ahead. Not only does the sauce taste better after some resting time, but it is also a life saver on the nights when you are too knackered to cook yet still want a warming and nourishing meal to tuck into.