Kids and adults all love pasta and red sauce. This vegan bolognese recipe is the ultimate comfort food – even if you can’t pronounce it.
What exactly is bolognese? Bolognese is a sauce that is typically meat-based containing beef, tomatoes and spices. It is most often served over spaghetti noodles.
My version is made with lentils as the protein instead of beef. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
Red lentil bolognese is a hearty sauce that can be used in a variety of ways. It stores well and is nice to have on hand for several meals throughout the week. I’ll show you multiple ways to serve it to keep things interesting.
How Do You Say Bolognese?
The term “bolognese” comes from the town of Bologna, Italy. All the great pasta sauces come from Italy, right?
In this house, I call it vegan spaghetti sauce, but the proper pronunciation is “bow-luh-naze”.
No matter how you say it, vegan bolognese sauce with lentils is sure to land in your meal rotation. It is easy to cook – even with mistakes as you’ll see in my video – affordable and crowd-pleasing.
How to Make Vegan Bolognese Pasta with Lentils
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta (your choice of pasta)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1 1/2 tsps Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 cup Dry Red Lentils (rinsed)
- 2 tbsps Tomato Paste
- 3 cups Veggie Broth
- 1 cup Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsps Balsamic Vinegar (divided)
Step 1 – Prepare Pasta
Begin by cooking your pasta of choice according to its package directions. Eight ounces makes about four servings. You might want to make more for leftovers and meal planning.
Step 2 – Cook Onions and Spices
Next, add the onion, garlic and water to a pot over medium heat. Cook them until the onion begins to soften and the water evaporates. Then add the oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute.
You will see in the video that my pan was far too hot when I started. The onion began to stick. To overcome the heat, I added more water and scraped the onion and garlic off the pan until the water evaporated. Then continued with the remainder of the recipe.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t follow the recipe exactly as described. Bolognese sauce is very forgiving and can be easily recovered.
Step 3 – Boil the Sauce
It’s time to add the lentils. Stir them in along with the tomato paste. Add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce and half of the balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are very tender.
Again, the video will show where I veered away from the recipe slightly. I forgot to add the tomato paste! Once I realized my mistake, I came back and added the missing ingredient. All was fine.
Step 4 – Season
Finally, stir in the remaining balsamic vinegar and continue to simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with additional salt, if needed, and enjoy!
Add More Flavor
This recipe is versatile to accommodate everyone’s tastes. Looking for more flavor? Replace the tomato sauce with your favorite marinara sauce. You can also add freshly chopped herbs, such as basil or oregano, toward the end of cooking.
Want more spice? Add more red pepper flakes to your liking. They can be added as a topping at the end for that one family member who loves spicy food.
Serving Suggestions
Bolognese sauce on top of spaghetti noodles is classic and comforting. I have found some other ways to enjoy the sauce to break up the monotony.
Serve it over baked potatoes to make it extra filling. You can also increase your veggies by spooning the sauce over veggie spirals or veggie noodles. Another option is to dip fresh bread in the sauce. This can be served as a side dish or an appetizer.
Storing Bolognese Sauce
The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Divide it into individual containers to grab quickly for meals throughout the week. One cup is one serving.
More Vegan Sauces to Try
Vegan Bolognese Sauce with Pasta
Easy, oil-free Vegan Bolognese Sauce is made with red lentils and is perfect on top of a big bowl of pasta.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta (your choice of pasta)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 cup Dry Red Lentils (rinsed)
- 2 tbsps Tomato Paste
- 3 cups Veggie Broth
- 1 cup Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsps Balsamic Vinegar (divided)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Eight ounces makes about 4 servings. (Make more for easy leftovers.)
- In a pot over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and water. Cook until the onion begins to soften and the water evaporates. Add the oregano, salt and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in the lentils and tomato paste. Add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce and half the balsamic vinegar and stir to mix well. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are very tender.
- Stir in the remaining balsamic vinegar and continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with additional salt if needed and enjoy.
Notes
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days.
Serving Size: One serving is approximately one cup of sauce.
More Flavor: Use your favorite marinara sauce instead of tomato sauce. Add freshly chopped basil or oregano at the end.
Additional Toppings: top with extra red pepper flakes, dried or fresh oregano or nutritional yeast.
How to Use: Serve over potatoes, veggie noodles, pasta noodles, or dip fresh bread in it.
