Riri's RecipesSpice up your pasta night with this homemade lentil bolognese! It’s so easy to make and is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. It’s packed with fibre from the lentils, and is full of flavour. Adding homemade pasta to this will elevate this dish to another level!
Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade lentil bolognese
- Garlic. You can use 1-2 cloves, depending on the size and your preference!
- Carrots. I used two large carrots and diced them into small pieces.
- Onion. You can use a red or yellow onion for this. I went with yellow and diced it finely!
- Celery. For the celery, you can use about 2 large celery stalks and cut them into small pieces.
- Lentils. Any type of lentils work, I used one 500g can of green lentils!
- Tomato Sauce. I made my own homemade tomato sauce with whole peeled tomatoes that I crushed and cooked for about an hour with some olive oil, water and spices.
- Spices. You can use a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and oregano. This can be added to the cooked vegetables and lentils, and adjust for taste once you add your pasta and sauce.
- Olive Oil. To coat your pan and add flavour to the sauce.
- Pasta. I used homemade bucatini with this recipe, but you can use 500 grams of any pasta of your choice!
Equipment to help prepare this lentil bolognese
- Knife Set. You’ll be slicing and dicing all your vegetables, and using a great knife will make cutting a breeze!
- Cutting Board. This recipe requires lots of chopping and cutting, so having the right cutting board makes all the difference!
- Pan. Having a good pan to cook down all your vegetables in is key for this recipe. The pan also needs to be big enough so that once the veggies and lentils are cooked, you can add your cooked pasta and sauce and mix everything together.
Tips on making the best homemade lentil bolognese
- Cook your sauce first. If you want to make a homemade sauce, prepare that in a separate pot and let it simmer for at least 1 hour before making this recipe.
- Finely dice all your vegetables. You can definitely cut the carrots and celery in larger pieces if you prefer, but I find cutting them into small pieces allows them to cook faster and much easier.
- Add some water if your veggies are not cooking down fast enough. You can add about 1/4 cup of water at a time if you see the veggies are not cooking and are still somewhat hard when you try to pierce it with a fork.
How to store your lentil bolognese pasta
Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Craving more?
- Craving another easy savoury recipe? You will love my recipe for the Ultimate High Protein Vegan Burrito! It’s packed with protein, veggies and carbs to keep you full!
- My Warm Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad is another great meal prep recipe that is so simple to make, customizable and delicious!
- What’s better than finishing off your meal with a sweet treat? More specifically, my Vegan No Bake Banana Peanut Butter Oat Cups will do just the trick to end your meal on a sweet note.
Homemade Lentil Bolognese
Spice up your pasta night with this homemade lentil bolognese! It's so easy to make and is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. It's packed with fibre from the lentils, and is full of flavour. Adding homemade pasta to this will elevate this dish to another level!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil, to drizzle in pan
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 whole yellow onion diced
- 2 whole large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 can lentils (500 gram can) rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley and more to top
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- tomato sauce, as much as desired to coat your pasta (can use homemade or store-bought)
- 500 grams homemade bucatini or store-bought pasta of choice
Instructions
- Prepare your tomato sauce in a pan (if making homemade, or heat up store-bought sauce) and set aside.
- To a large pan, drizzle your olive and set to medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and gently stir until fragrant. Add in onions, celery, and carrots and cook for about 10-15 minutes until softened.
- Add in your lentils and spices and cook down for another 10 minutes. Add in a bit of water if you see veggies are not softened, about 1/4 cup.
- While all the vegetables are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta.
- Once all vegetables are cooked, pour in your sauce and let cook for a final 5 minutes.
- Pour your sauce into the pan with your veggie mixture, then drain your pasta and add it to your pan. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Top pasta with extra dried parsley, cheese, or other toppings of choice before enjoying.
Notes
How to store: place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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