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ItalianVeganhigh proteinhigh fibrebudget

Lentil Bolognese

A rich, slow-tasting ragù of lentils, mushrooms and soffritto over wholewheat spaghetti. Vegan, about £1 / $1.50 a portion, with 28 g protein and a massive 16 g fibre.

Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
Log this meal Cooking mode
Fusilli in tomato sauce topped with red lentils and sprouts on a yellow plate

Photo: Katrin Gilger (Flickr) · CC BY-SA 2.0

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt until soft and sweet.

    8 min
  2. 2

    Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook over higher heat until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown.

    6 min
  3. 3

    Stir in the tomato purée for a minute, then add the lentils, passata, stock, balsamic and herbs. Simmer, partly covered, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.

    30 min
  4. 4

    Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve a mug of the pasta water.

    11 min
  5. 5

    Season the ragù well, then toss with the spaghetti and a splash of pasta water. Serve with nutritional yeast and basil. The sauce keeps 5 days chilled or 3 months frozen.

Watch how it's made

Hand-picked videos of this dish or its classic version. Their quantities differ, so follow ours for the macros above.

  • $9 vs. $39 Vegan Bolognese

    Rainbow Plant Life · YouTube

  • How to Make Lentil Bolognese | Dinner Recipes | Allrecipes.com

    Allrecipes · YouTube

Substitutions

  • Short on time: use 2 tins (400 g) of drained cooked lentils and simmer just 10 minutes.
  • Lower-carb: serve the ragù over courgette (zucchini) noodles or spaghetti squash.
  • Not vegan? Finish with grated parmesan, or make it half lentils, half lean beef mince.

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