This vegan lentil bolognese pasta is a simple, satisfying dinner that you can make in under 30 minutes. It’s made with just 10 ingredients and high in healthy plant protein.
I know, I know, you’re wondering if you came to the right place. I thought this blog was all about cake, cookies, chocolate, and oats??
You aren’t wrong, sis. Every tooth in this mouth is sweet, and I love sharing my fave desserts and breakfasts. But today, we’re mixing it up. Because honestly, when I made this vegan lentil bolognese pasta I was so impressed with myself that I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys.
Savory cooking is a whole other world from baking, and it’s definitely not my comfort zone. Joe is SO good at improvising and coming up with great, savory dishes on the fly, but I like to go step by step, with a clear plan. Both of those descriptions perfectly reflect our personalities outside of the kitchen too, funny enough.
Anyway, I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this satisfying, hearty pasta dish, and I hope you guys love it too! It’s a perfect quick and simple but satisfying dinner option for any night of the week.
Ingredients for vegan lentil bolognese pasta
- Onion + garlic: onion and garlic are a must for a great foundation of flavor in the pasta.
- Vegetable stock: you’ll use a bit of veggie stock to sauté the onion and garlic.
- Brown lentils: lentils are the base of the pasta sauce, and they’re a great source of satiating plant-based protein with great texture.
- Water: you’ll use water to cook the lentils.
- Tomato sauce: some canned tomato sauce is the base of the pasta sauce, just make sure to get one with tomatoes as the only ingredients (a lot of store-bought canned tomato products have added sugars/oils).
- Basil + oregano + red pepper flakes: these 3 spices keep the recipe super simple but very flavorful.
- Stevia or date sugar: a bit of sweetener balances the acidity of the tomatoes in the sauce.
- Cooked pasta: any bean or legume-based pasta will work, but the textures can differ wildly. The pasta I used in these photos is this Whole Foods brand red lentil spaghetti, which I love. Some other brands that I like are Cybeles, Explore Cuisine, and Tolerant.
Tips for making vegan lentil bolognese pasta
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. While the pasta cooks, you’ll prepare the lentil bolognese sauce in another pot. All you need to do is sauté onion and garlic, then add the lentils until they’re cooked. Stir in the tomato sauce, spices, and a bit of stevia to balance the acidity of all the tomato going on, and that’s it! Pour the sauce over the noodles, top with a lil sprinkle of nutritional yeast, and it’s ready.
- Add whatever toppings you like. I always love more red pepper flakes on my pasta, but go with whatever you like.
This vegan lentil bolognese pasta is simple, healthy, and so satisfying. Normally I’m all about laziness when it comes to my savory meals, but taking the extra step to sauté the onion and garlic (while still utilizing convenience items like canned tomato sauce and dried herbs!), is sooo worth the finished product.
Xo,
Sara
Vegan Lentil Bolognese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup dry brown lentils
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce
- 2 tsp basil
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp stevia
- 4 oz dry spaghetti, cooked according to the package directions – I always use bean/legume-based pastas, as they're much higher in plant-based protein than wheat pastas. I love the Cybeles, Explore Cuisine, and Tolerant brands.
Instructions
- Put the onion, garlic, and vegetable stock in a pot and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid anything sticking/burning.
- Add the lentils and water to the pot and cook on medium heat until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, spices, and stevia, then cook for another 5 minutes until everything is warmed through. Taste and adjust the amount of spices to your liking.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and top with nutritional yeast.
