Go Back
bowl with spaghetti, lentil and tomato sauce, grated parmesan and coriander. A small bowl with coriander on the side

Lentil Bolognese

AuthorRita
This vegan lentil bolognese recipe is delicious, healthy, and so comforting! If you're a fan of a comfort meal on a cold winter day, this recipe is for you!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Servings4 servings

Ingredients  

  • 6 oz spaghetti or another type of pasta 175 g
  • 1 can cooked lentils drained (400 g)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 oz mushrooms 100 g
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes 240 g
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup white wine 60 ml
  • 1/4 cup water 60 ml
  • 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • fresh coriander finely chopped to garnish (optional)
  • vegan parmesan to garnish (optional)

Instructions 

  1. Chop the onion garlic and add the carrots and mushrooms into a food processor, and pulse to chop them finely.
  2. Heat a pan on medium heat with olive oil and sautée the onion, garlic, and bay leaf for 5 minutes.
  3. When the onion is soft, add the carrots and mushrooms and sautée for more 5 minutes, often stirring to prevent burning.
  4. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, and white wine and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until the wine has evaporated.
  5. Add the lentils, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, and water, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
  6. While the lentils are cooking, cook your pasta accordingly, the packaging instructions.
  7. When the lentils are cook, turn down the heat, remove the bay leaf, and pulse with a hand blender to combine all the ingredients. Do not over blend. Otherwise, it will turn into a puré instead of a sauce.
  8. Serve it with your bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta and garnish with chopped coriander or vegan parmesan!

Notes

This recipe works great for meal prepping: Make a batch of this bolognese sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days.
White wine is a fantastic ingredient to add flavor to this recipe: So I suggest you stick with it. The alcohol evaporates with the heat, so you're not going to feel the taste of it, and it is safe for kids to eat it.
Don't over-blend the lentils: If you over-blend the lentils, they will turn into a puree, which is different from a usual bolognese sauce consistency.
You can use any pasta you prefer on this recipe: Spaghetti, penne, and tagliatelle are some examples of pasta that work great with this bolognese sauce. Also, you can use a gluten-free or a vegan one.