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perfect bowl of lentil bolognese with grated vegan parmesan on top

Quick & Easy 8 Ingredient Lentil Bolognese Recipe

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main Meals
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

If you miss having “meaty” spaghetti bolognese every Sunday that tastes like a grandmother made it, don’t worry- I’ve got you covered. This easy lentil bolognese uses just 8 simple pantry ingredients and comes together in just over 30 minutes. It’s rich, hearty, and has a beautiful depth of flavor that you wouldn’t believe plants could achieve!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup uncooked lentils, soaked overnight
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 7 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) red wine*
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar store-bought marinara
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) dairy free milk or vegan heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound spaghetti, tagliatelle, etc., cooked, for serving
  • Freshly grated vegan parmesan cheese or vegan mozzarella, for serving

Instructions

  1. Prep: Make sure that the lentils have soaked for at least 30 minutes in water, but preferably overnight. The longer they soak, the easier it will be for them to cook fast and absorb as much flavor as possible. Once soaked, you’ll drain the lentils and set aside. Finely chop and mince the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. For ease, you can place all into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.
  2. Heat: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add in the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Stir to coat in the oil, then cover to cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent burning on the pan. While the vegetable mixture is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta.
  3. Deglaze: Once the onions are translucent and fragrant, and the carrots and celery are soft, pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan. Then pour in the marinara, followed by the dairy free milk, and bring to a boil. Add in the presoaked lentils and stir. You can season with salt and pepper here.
  4. Cook: Stir to combine then reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot to let the sauce cook for 10 minutes. The lentils should be soft once done cooking. While the sauce is cooking, you can add the pasta to the boiling water to cook until al dente, following the instructions on the box for your desired pasta.
  5. Coat: Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce, along with the water, and toss the sauce and pasta together to evenly coat.
  6. Serve and enjoy! Serve the lentil bolognese with freshly grated vegan parmesan or vegan mozzarella and freshly chopped herbs, like parsley and basil. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Lentils: You can soak the lentils just 30 minutes before making this dish, but it will cook much faster if the lentils are soaked overnight.

Red wine: For a non-red wine version, you can use 1/2 cup (118 mL) water mixed with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. It will do the same trick!

Dairy free milk: I like oat milk, almond milk, cashew cream, or a vegan heavy cream here. Most often, I’m using oat milk, which I almost always have on hand.

Gluten free: Use a gluten-free pasta brand here. I really like Jovial Foods gluten-free spaghetti!