Description
This hearty vegan lentil bolognese is packed with flavor for a rich, satisfying pasta sauce. Make a big batch ahead of time and freeze excess for future dinners.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 4-5 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup carrot, diced (2-3 medium carrots)
- 1 cup celery, diced (3-4 stalks)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 42 oz crushed tomatoes (no salt added)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cups dried green or brown lentils (2 cups cooked), cooked according to package directions in water or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot, then sauté onions for 7-10 minutes, or until translucent and softened. Add garlic and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes.
- Add carrots, celery and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Add tomato paste, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, coconut sugar, pepper, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Add red wine and let reduce for a few minutes, stirring.
- Add tomatoes and simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, cook lentils according to package directions in either vegetable broth or water + a large pinch of salt. Drain and set aside.
- When sauce is finished, use an immersion blender to roughly blend sauce - you don't want any large chunks of vegetables remaining, but you also don't want a complete puree. Just a few pulses will do. When finished, stir in lentils and parsley and serve over pasta of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
Lentils: Green or brown lentils work best in this recipe. We don't suggest using red or yellow lentils, which will get mushy.
High-quality tomato products (paste + puréed tomatoes) will go a long way towards making your sauce taste great. We recommend using brands like Mutti, Cento or Muir Glen.
You can skip the red wine if you have a dietary restriction, but if not, we highly recommend using good, cheap bottle. It will add flavor and complexity.
Pretty much any style of pasta will work. We especially like using zucchini noodles in the summer.
Patience is key. The longer you simmer this sauce, the better it will taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 helping of sauce
- Calories: 454
- Sugar: 21.6 g
- Sodium: 2066.5 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 67.2 g
- Fiber: 14 g
- Protein: 18.7 g
