Lentil Bolognese is a vegan take on the classic pasta recipe. Hearty and delicious, this dish is packed with flavour and healthfulness. Nutritious lentils, tomato and peppers make any pasta night a spectacular event!
While searching for recipes on the BBC Good Food website, I discovered a recipe for spaghetti bolognese. I follow alot of UK vegan social media and bolognese or “spaghetti bols” seems to be very popular with many Brits. I had never made it before but now that I have, after veganizing and simplifying the recipe, it has become one of my all-time favorites.
This is a really great recipe for a company dinner. Serve it with a salad, some good bread and you have an instant, impressive and hearty meal. You can also make up a full batch for just yourself and freeze the leftovers as it freezes well. When eating for one, I like to garnish with some freshed chopped parsley and some vegan parmesan.
Making Vegan Bolognese
The secret of creating a great pasta sauce is all in the preparation. Make sure all your vegetables are cut into uniform sizes and shapes and assemble all your ingredients before getting started. All the vegetables should be diced into medium-small bite-size pieces, but if you like a chunkier sauce, you can coarsely chop them as well. The onion and garlic should be finely diced. If you have a food processor, use it instead. It saves time, tears, and does a good job.
Start by cooking the onions and garlic over medium heat. When they become translucent, add the rest of the vegetables. Cook them together, stirring, for a minute or so. Then add the lentils. Stir it together and make sure everything is well mixed. Next, add the seasonings, herbs, tomato paste, vegetable stock and the can of diced tomatoes. Stir well, lower heat to medium-low, and cover to let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
The sauce is ready when most but not all the liquids has evaporated. The sauce should be thick, saucey and chunky. Serve it hot over pasta and garnish with more herbs. It’s so delicious. Enjoy!
Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 1 carrot chopped
- 1/2 large green pepper chopped
- 1 pound cooked lentils 3-1/2 cups
- 1-1/4 teaspoons stevia seasoning
- 1 tablespoon applesauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley chopped
- 1 package spaghetti cooked and drained
- Vegan parmesan for topping
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box. Drain well and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables, dicing each and placing in a large mixing bowl.
- Roughly chop the onions and garlic and blend in a food processor until well chopped. If chopping by hand, chop finely.
- Place a large lidded skillet over medium and add the oil. Stir it around to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Once heated, add the onions and garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon until translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and stir until mixed. Add the lentils, seasonings and stir well. When mixture is well blended add the tomato paste, vegetable stock and the can of tomatoes. Stir until well mixed.
- Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until most of the liquid has thickened.
- Once done, serve immediately over pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with vegan parmesan.
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