Easy Lentil Bolognese is a delicious vegan pasta sauce. With onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and fresh herbs, lentils are caramelized for rich flavor. The whole family will love this vegan, gluten-free sauce ready in 30 minutes! Serve with your favorite pasta or polenta.
Ingredient
– 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil– 2 carrot– 2 celery stalk– 1 medium onion finely chopped– 2 Tablespoons tomato paste– ½ cup walnut– 1 cup lentil– ½ cup red wine– 1 teaspoon dried sage– 1 teaspoon dried rosemary– 1 bay leaf– 1 28- ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoe– Salt and pepper to taste– A few sprigs fresh basil-for garnish– 2 teaspoons sea salt– Freshly ground pepper to taste– 12-16 ounces 340-454 grams pasta
Direction
1
Cook the lentils first. About 2 cups of cooked lentils are needed for meal prep for the week. As mentioned, NYE left me with many lentils.
2
Not cooked lentils? No problem!
There are several lentils. After soaking for an hour, red lentils will be ready faster. For this sauce, I prefer brown lentils). Strain and rinse before making sauce.
3
Make lentils the night before and strain in colander. Cook lentils in a medium saucepan. Cover with 3 cups water. Add bay leaf and 1-2 tsp salt. Simmer lentils. Boil until tender. Use colander. Refrigerate cooled sauce in an airtight container until cooking. Store them in the fridge for days.
4
Same-day cooking follows this process. Cook lentils in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Add bay leaf and 1-2 tsp salt. Simmer lentils. Boil until tender. Use colander. Prepare the sauce and reserve the al dente lentils.
5
Start sauce:
Start by preparing vegetables. Pulse carrots, celery, and onions in a mini food processor or chop by hand.
6
Next, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pan on medium heat (I prefer extra-virgin). After heating, add carrots, onions, and celery. Stir onions for 5-6 minutes until translucent.
7
Stir in chopped walnuts for 1 minute. Mix fresh herbs and al dente lentils. Stir 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons canned or tubed tomato paste to medium heat. Stir. After 2 minutes, caramelize tomato paste. Keep stirring to avoid browning.
8
Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water near the end of simmering. Follow the box instructions to cook the pasta. Remember to strain it for a minute before getting it al dente.Serve with polenta too. Even grilled polenta goes well with this sauce.
9
Check seasoning: Add more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. Serve pasta and sauce: Place pasta in a bowl or platter. Put some great extra-virgin olive oil on.
Add vegan parmesan, chopped Italian parsley (or fresh basil), and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!