Okay, for those of you who follow my Instagram page, you know I’ve been teasing this Lentil Bolognese recipe for a few weeks now. Partly because I wanted to make sure I had the perfect, quick recipe down pat and partly because I decided to start this blog and wanted to make sure I had this fire recipe lined up to christen this new archive of plant based creations. Either way, I made sure this saucy goodness was just right and I’m bringing it to you right now! It takes little effort but the final outcome provides loads of flavour, a great helping of plant based protein and should definitely fill you up.

The prep time for this Lentil Bolognese recipe is 10 minutes and the overall cook time comes out to just about 30 minutes. This may take longer if you don’t already have cooked lentils handy. I suggest cooking lentils and having them in your fridge for not only this recipe, but to use in lentil tacos (recipe coming soon), salads, bowls and more.

I will share a few tips before I hit you with this recipe.

The first (and pretty key) tip for is to cut your carrot before the other veggies, as you’re going to throw the carrot in first and let it cook while you prep your other veggies and spices. Heat up roughly a TBSP of olive oil on medium heat in your saucepan as you cut that carrot. Toss it in the pan once it’s cut and move along with the rest of the directions as that sizzles.

The second helpful tip is that you can sub the cooked lentils for a can of lentils, rinsed and strained. There is virtually no difference in taste and it cuts back the time and effort in boiling out lentils if you’re in a hurry and don’t happen to have lentils prepped and ready to go.

Finally, get your pasta cooking while the Lentil Bolognese sauce simmers for 10-15 minutes so that it is fresh and ready to go when your sauce is finished. I use gluten free pasta.

I really hope you enjoy this Lentil Bolognese Recipe as much as I did. Let me know how you like it in the comments below!

Print Recipe

Lentil Bolognese

Okay, for those of you who follow my Instagram page, you know I’ve been teasing this recipe for a few weeks now. Partly because I wanted to make sure I had the perfect, quick recipe down pat and partly because I decided to start this blog and wanted to make sure I had this fire recipe lined up to christen this new archive of plant based creations.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 jar strained, crushed Tomatoes (this is Aurora brand)
• 1 cup Lentils
• 1/2 White Onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 pack white mushrooms, diced
• Garlic (powder or fresh)
• Oregano
• Bay Leaf
• Salt & Pepper

Garnish (optional)

• Dried or Fresh Parsley

Course Main Dish Cuisine Italian Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 30 mins Servings Ingredients 1 jar strained, crushed Tomatoes (this is Aurora brand) 1 cup Lentils 1/2 White Onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 1/2 pack white mushrooms, diced Garlic (powder or fresh) Oregano Bay Leaf Salt & Pepper Garnish (optional) Dried or Fresh Parsley

Instructions

1. Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Dice carrot first and toss into the pan to begin cooking while you dice mushroom and onion. Cook carrot for 6-8 minutes and then add the additional vegetables.

   
2. While vegetables sauté, mash your lentils in a bowl with a fork. Mash about 90%.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add mashed lentils and begin pouring your jar of crushed tomato puree into the saucepan. Use about ½ a jar.
4. Add dry seasonings and stir. This is entirely your preference but I used about 1 TBSP oregano, 1 TBSP powdered garlic, salt and pepper to taste and 2 bay leaves.

   
5. Add ½ -1 cup of water (your preference depending on desired thickness), stir, cover and let simmer on medium-low heat for approximately 10-15 minutes.