I never thought I’d eat a vegan recipe — let alone LOVE a vegan recipe. Even my meat-loving boyfriend thought this recipe was fantastic. This dish made our apartment smell like an Italian grandmother’s kitchen and tasted just as amazing. This recipe is inspired by Choosing Chia’s Lentil Bolognese recipe.
Lentil Bolognese
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 big carrot
1 celery stalk
1/2 red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup cooked lentils (see Note 1)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
200g spaghetti or linguini
How to Make It
- Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and pepper to a food processor and chop into small bits.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add in the chopped vegetables and salt.
- Brown the vegetables in the pan for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. (Do not skip this step! Browning the vegetables is where all the flavor happens!)
- Once the vegetables are browned, add in the wine. Cook on medium heat until the wine evaporates.
- Next, add in the lentils, crushed tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta and water) and mix together until well combined.
- Lower the heat to low, add in the water and let cook down for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and slightly pulse the sauce with an emulsion blender or in the food processor.
- Serve over your favorite spaghetti or pasta.
Note 1: I use french lentils, but you can use any lentils except red lentils because they get mushy.
