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Close up shot of lentil bolognese
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4.56 from 9 votes

Lentil Bolognese Recipe

This lentil bolognese recipe is rich with so many layers of flavour. It’s my favourite take on a vegetarian bolognese.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 5
Calories: 482kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.00

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, finely diced (£0.15)
  • 1 carrot, grated (£0.12)
  • 250 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped (£1.00)
  • 2 tins plum tomatoes (£0.47x2)=(£0.94)
  • 150 g green lentils (£1.90/3)=(£0.63)
  • 400 g spaghetti (£0.28)
  • Bunch of fresh basil (£0.60)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
  • Salt & Pepper

Note: Substitute the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce if vegan

Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • Add the olive oil to the pan with the chopped onion, grated carrot & chopped mushrooms to sweat for around 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Once everything has softened after this fry time, add the tomato puree, oregano, thyme, garlic granules and some fresh black pepper. Fry for 2 minutes before adding plum tomatoes, stock, lentils and Worcester sauce. Crush the tomatoes with the back of your spatula against the side of the pan to help smooth out the sauce.
  • Simmer for 30 minutes. During this period/ after 20 minutes put the pasta on to cook. Set your pasta timer one minute shy of the packet time. Stir the lentil bolognese occasionally and if it looks like it’s drying up at any point, add a splash of water (some lentils absorb more water than others).
  • After 30 minutes, the sauce should have thickened. Stir the spaghetti into the bolognese (with a splash of pasta water if needed) and continue to cook for a minute or two whilst combining. Add the optional nutritional yeast, half of the chopped fresh basil, reserving half to garnish. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

  • Cook the bolognese low and slow for deep, rich flavour.
  • Check the lentil tenderness during cooking to ensure they are soft but not mushy.
  • Season in stages to enhance flavours.
  • Cook the mushrooms until all moisture evaporates and they take on colour; seasoning with salt helps draw out moisture.

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 5g