Vegan Bolognese
This vegan version of popular Bolognese pasta sauce is made with lentils and quinoa to give the sauce a meaty texture. Even my meat-loving husband loves vegan Bolognese!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown or green lentils (sorted and rinsed)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)
- 3 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
For Serving:
- cooked pasta of your choice
- grated Parmesan cheese (or use vegan cheese, if desired)
- fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together lentils, carrots and water or broth. (If you're using water instead of broth, add ½ teaspoon kosher salt.) Bring lentils to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender and the lentils are cooked.1 cup uncooked brown or green lentils, 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks, 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion becomes translucent, 7 to 8 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped, 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and spinach (see note) and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes , 3 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
- To a blender or food processor, add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sautéed vegetables, basil, and oregano. Once the lentils have cooked, remove the carrots from the cooked mixture (it's okay if a few lentils are clinging to the carrots), and add the carrots to the blender or food processor along with the tomato/vegetable mixture. Process until smooth.1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- Place the skillet or Dutch oven back on medium heat. Add diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Add the puréed tomato mixture, quinoa, and cooked lentils back to the pan you used to cook the veggies, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 to 50 minutes or until quinoa is cooked, stirring occasionally.½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on the package. Before draining, reserve ½ cup pasta water to thin out the sauce, if necessary.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Combine with cooked pasta, adding pasta water if needed. If you prefer, serve the sauce on cooked pasta. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Pro tip: Because the vegetables are going to be processed in the food processor after they're cooked, you don't have to worry about finely dicing them. The pieces can be fairly large. This is especially true of the carrots. I leave those in 1-inch pieces so they can more easily be separated from the lentils after they're cooked.
- Spinach: Blending the sautéed spinach into the sauce does affect the color of the sauce, turning it somewhat brownish. If you prefer, the spinach can be reserved until just before you serve the sauce. Simply stir the raw spinach leaves into the sauce; it will cook quickly. Another option is to omit the spinach entirely.
- Make ahead: This recipe makes a big batch, about 8 cups. It freezes well, and will keep for up to 3 months. Store in labeled freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat until hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup sauce | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 919mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5716IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 5mg
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