Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Serve this high-protein lentil Bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta for a hearty, satisfying and comforting meal.

AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:45 mins

CourseMain Dish

CuisineGluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings small bowls

Ingredients

16 oz. pasta (gluten-free if desired)
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
3-4 cloves garlic
1 cup red lentils* (dry, uncooked)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tamari
1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning**
Optional: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Toppings (optional):

Fresh basil, parsley, cashew parmesan, etc.

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain when finished.
Meanwhile, very finely dice onion, celery, and carrot. (Or use a food processor for quicker results.) Mince garlic.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, and carrot for 7-8 minutes or until softened. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir and sauté 1 minute.
Add broth and red lentils (rinsed very well).
Bring to a light boil. Then decrease heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until lentils are cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
Stir in crushed tomatoes and tamari. Heat 5 more minutes. Add nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor if desired (optional).
For serving, spoon the sauce over the top of the pasta and garnish with any desired toppings.

Notes

*Thickness: Traditional Bolognese is a very thick sauce, but if you prefer yours a bit thinner simply decrease the amount of red lentils.

**Herbs: If you don't have Italian seasoning, use other herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, etc. (Or a combination.)

Other variations could include: Finely chopped walnuts or mushrooms for the base. Or other veggies as desired: bell pepper, zucchini, spinach.

Yield: Sauce makes 5 1/2 cups (without pasta). Reduce or halve if desired because it's a large batch. I also suspect the sauce would freeze very well, but haven't tested that yet.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)