Spaghetti bolognese with lentils
75 min · 37 g protein · 511 cals / serving
The weeknight pasta of half the world, with lentils and finely chopped mushrooms simmered into the sauce alongside lean beef. They melt into the ragù, soak up the tomato and broth, and stretch a pound of meat to six generous plates.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 400 g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup lentils, brown or green, rinsed
- 2 cans (400 g each) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 10 oz pasta, spaghetti
To serve
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- a handful fresh basil, torn
Steps
- Warm the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring now and then, until the mushroom liquid has cooked away and the vegetables are soft and sweet, about 15 minutes. Do not rush this; it is where the depth of the sauce comes from.
- Turn the heat up, add the garlic and the beef, and break the meat up as it browns, 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F. Stir in the tomato paste and fry it for a minute or two until it darkens.
- Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth, oregano, bay leaves, the rest of the salt and the pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly covered, for 35–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely tender and the sauce is thick. Splash in a little water if it tightens before the lentils are done. Fish out the bay leaves.
- About 15 minutes before the sauce is ready, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Save a mug of the pasta water, drain, and toss the spaghetti with a couple of ladles of sauce and a splash of the water so every strand is coated. Serve with the rest of the sauce on top, the parmesan and torn basil.
Good to know
Will it taste of lentils?
Brown or green lentils cooked this long in tomato and beef broth take on the sauce's flavor and texture; most people read them as part of the meat. Red lentils work too, at about the same score, but dissolve completely and make a thicker, smoother sauce, so add them only for the last 20 minutes.
Can I make it ahead?
The sauce is better on day two and freezes well for three months. Cook the pasta fresh: spaghetti stored in sauce keeps absorbing it and turns soft.
Why toss the pasta in the sauce?
A little sauce and starchy pasta water stirred through the drained spaghetti makes it glossy and keeps the sauce clinging to each strand instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the plate.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 107
- Protein
- (30%)
- 8 g
- Fat
- (17%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (52%)
- 15 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 301 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 3068 kcal goes into the pot and 3053 g of ingredients comes out as about 2880 g of food: 107 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.