Put a kettle on. Rinse the dried mushrooms well to get rid of any grit and place them in a small bowl.

Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water. Set aside for later.

Heat up the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the diced onion and sauté on a low heat for a few minutes, until the onions are almost translucent, but not coloured.

Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

Finally add the diced celery, carrot and chestnut mushrooms. Sauté, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, chop the re-hydrated dry mushrooms (do not throw the liquid away) very finely.

Add the diced dry mushrooms to the pan, together with the chopped rosemary leaves, whole thyme springs, smoked paprika, nutmeg, chilli (if using) and 1 tsp of salt. Stir everything around for a minute or so.

Add the dry mushroom stock, being careful not to tip the grit that sometimes gathers at the bottom of the dish over.

After the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, add the wine and allow it to bubble gently for a few minutes so that the harsh taste of alcohol cooks out, for about 10 minutes.

Add both tomato cans and about 1 cup (240 ml) of water (I like to rinse my cans with it first).

If you used plum tomatoes, like I did, break them up with a spoon first. Put the lid on and allow the sauce to bubble on a low-medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down (about 30 minutes).

Half way through the simmering, add the dry lentils into the pan (they take about 25 minutes to cook).

Once the tomatoes have broken down, take the lid off and start reducing the sauce on a low-medium heat. If the pan is starting to look a bit too dry, add another cup of water (pasta cooking water is best) and cook until you achieve the desired consistency. Remember to give the sauce a good stir from time to time to ensure that the middle of the pan does not burn.

Season with more salt if needed, date syrup or sugar (if needed) and black pepper.