This hearty bolognese recipe is a vegetarian twist on the classic bolognese. It is packed with veggies, lentils, wine, and herbs in a tomato sauce..It’s rich, satisfying and loaded with flavour! Simply toss with your favourite pasta!
This beautiful dish is not only incredibly delicious but it is a stunning dish to serve at your next dinner party! The flavours take on this recipe is similar to your classic bolognese but without the meat. I must say, the lentils and mushrooms are really a perfect hearty and meaty substitution that you don’t miss it at all!
This healthy vegetarian Bolognese recipe offers rich bold flavours with the earthy flavours of cremini mushrooms and green lentils with a hint of nuttiness. A great recipe for any day of the week that your family will ask for again and again! 🙂
INGREDIENTS AND TIPS
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: recommend a good quality of evoo
- MIREPOX: Onion, Carrots and Celery
- GARLIC: I used 4 cloves, love the pungent flavour of garlic
- HERBS: dried oregano and thyme; fresh basil as a garnish
- SEASONINGS: Himalayan salt or finely ground sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
- TOMATO PASTE
- RED WINE: offers a rich, bold and robust flavour to the sauce
- VEGETABLE BROTH: I like to use organic cubes when I don’t have a homemade broth available
- TOMATOES: for my sauces I like to use whole roma tomatoes and break them down befor adding it the skillet
- LENTILS: I used green lentils in this recipe, they take 25-30 minutes to cook, same time for the sauce to develop the flavours
WHAT IS BOLOGNESE?
It is an Italian dish with meat sauce that is simmer for 2 -3 hours with a variety of vegetables, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, red wine, ground meat and most often with milk or cream. This dish originated in Bologna, Italy which is the northern part of Italy.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Heat olive oil in a large skillet/pan or cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and sauté for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, oregano and thyme. Pour wine into the skillet and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the skillet/pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the alcohol has burned off.
Break down whole tomatoes using your hands or a masher, stir into the skillet. Add lentils, salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender and cooked.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a medium-large pot of water to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside. After 25 minutes of cooking time, add the reserved pasta water and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and coat well.
Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with pasta and enjoy!
A HEALTHY AND NOURISHING MEAL
This recipe is loaded with wholesome and healthy ingredients. Yes we know how nutritious vegetables are and the importance of including them in our daily diet. But I like to point out to you why we need to include mushrooms and lentils in our meals. Mushrooms are packed with so many essential nutrients, loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which is beneficial to our immune system that by eating mushrooms it improves our immune system to fight off diseases, including cancer. So add mushrooms to your pasta dishes, chili, salads, bowls, meat dishes, stews, scrambled eggs, burgers and the list goes on!
Lentils come in many varieties but they all can have a huge impact on our health. The are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are made up of 25% protein and high in iron which makes it a great meat alternative. They are rich in fiber which is highly beneficial to maintain a healthy gut bacteria and reduces many illness and diseases including many cancers.
Serve this delicious, hearty and satisfying dish with pasta and my choice was to serve with pappardelle pasta. Other options is spaghetti, fettuccine, penne or rigatoni. If you don’t want pasta with this sauce, it can served with mashed potatoes.
STORE properly in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an air tight container with a lid.
FREEZE up to 3 months in a safe sealed air-tight container or zip lock bag, making sure all the air is out before sealing.
WHEN YOU MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE…..
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND RATING. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I KNOW OTHERS WOULD TOO! 🙂
Lentil Mushrooom Bolognese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 4 garlic, smashed or finely minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1½ tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
- 14 oz can organic whole tomatoes
- 3/4 cups lentils, green
- red chili flakes
- fresh basil, diced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet/pan or cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and sauté for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, oregano and thyme. Pour wine into the skillet and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the skillet/pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the alcohol has burned off.
- Break down whole tomatoes using your hands or a masher, stir into the skillet. Add lentils, salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender and cooked.
- While the sauce is cooking, bring a medium-large pot of water to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside. After 25 minutes of cooking time, add the reserved pasta water and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and coat well.
- Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with pasta and enjoy!
