Finely dice the shallots, celery, carrot and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan over a medium heat. Tip in the chopped ingredients and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes or until the shallots are see-through. Add the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste and cook for a further minute. Pour in the lentils and stir well to mix the pan ingredients. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, bring the the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. You may have add a little water here and there to avoid the ragu getting too thick.

When the ragu has about 10 minutes to go, prepare and cook the Fettuccine. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until the pasta is aldente. Drain and reserve in the pan until the ragu is finally ready.

Once the lentils in the ragu have softened, slice the chard into thick ribbons and stir into the tomato mixture. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes or until all the chard has wilted.

Season the ragu to taste with salt and pepper then ladle the tomato sauce over potions of the Fettuccine.